Love, Life, and Death
by Annie-chan
Summary: Status: Complete. This is a semialternate universe fic, centering around Chichiri, which goes throughout his life, starting in his childhood. The rating is for some angsty chapters.
1. Childhood

**Author's Notes:  **This is intended to be a semi-alternate universe involving Chichiri/Hôjun, Hikô, and Kôran.  As I said, it's a semi-alternate universe, so the story won't be completely different.  It will start out very much the same as the original story, but there will be one glaring difference that will change the events later on varyingly.  When I get to the part recounted in Watase Yuu's story, whatever parts I skip over remain the same as the original.  So, basically, I'll be skipping from event to event, just telling the parts that differ from Watase's original.  If you want a recap of the parts that I _don't_ write about, you're reading the wrong story and need to go a site that has episode summaries.  Oh, yeah, and a warning: this story might get pretty dark in spots, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, stay away.

Yes, I know I spell some of the names funny, but bear with me, okay?  Onegai shimasu?

These characters do not belong to me.  They belong to the wonderful creative genius Watase Yuu and Flower Comics, as well as all the other companies holding copyrights to this awesome story (I don't know who they all are).  I made up names for the main characters' family members, and I'll probably add some new characters as their friends, or something like that.  I'm making this up as I go, though.

Anyway, I've babbled for long enough.  On with the show, no da!

Love, Life, and Death

By Annie-chan

Chapter One:  Childhood 

It was another bright spring morning in Shôryû, and a young child had just awoken to the light of the rising sun streaming in the window above his bed.  He squirmed, trying to get his face to where the offending light didn't shine right in his still sleepy eyes.  But, he was soon jolted awake by a sudden remembrance.  It was his birthday!  He was ten years old today!  His eyes shot open, but closed again quickly as he looked straight into the sunlight.  Perturbed, he rolled over in the bed he shared with his fourteen-year-old brother, Taiyô.

_Funny_, he thought.  _It's always either one sun or the other waking me up_.  If the sunrise didn't wake him up by shining in his eyes, Taiyô was sure to by rolling over and flopping his arm across Hôjun's face, or something like that.  His niisan wasn't the most peaceful of sleepers.

The insistent light out of his eyes, Hôjun crawled over Taiyô, who seemed to be able to sleep through anything, including Hôjun climbing over him to get out of bed.  Hôjun wasn't usually delicate about climbing over him, either.

Finally, his feet on the floor, he quickly dressed and ran out the door into the main part of the house.  His mother, Sensaisa, was already up, of course.  She was busy cooking breakfast for her family, as she always was when Hôjun got up in the morning.  His father, Tsuyosa, wasn't in the house as far as Hôjun could tell, so he must have been outside working or something before breakfast.  Hôjun's speculations proved right as he heard his father's voice speaking and laughing outside the partially open door with a few other voices, along with the sound of an axe hitting wood.

"Ohayô, Hôjun-chan!" his mother's sweet voice said.  "Tanjôbi omedetô!"

"Ohayô gozaimasu, Kâsan!   Arigatô gozaimasu!"  He noticed that breakfast would still be a while, as his mother had just started it, and he was about to run outside to see if his friends were about yet, when his mother stopped him.

"Go and wake up your brother, Hôjun," she said to her about-to-protest young son.  "Your father wanted his help with the morning work a little earlier than usual today, and I have to watch the cooking fire right now."

"Aww, Okâsaaaaaaaaaaaaan," Hôjun whined.  Waking up Taiyô was harder than pulling hen's teeth.  He was about to go on with his displeasure when he was given one of those Mother Looks that leave no room for arguing.  "Okay, okay, I'm going."  He went back into his bedroom and debated what was the best method for waking his brother up this time.  Shouting wouldn't work, as he had gotten in trouble the last time he tried that to wake up Taiyô.  Jumping on his brother's unconscious form probably wouldn't work either, for he had slept through Hôjun blundering over him to get out of bed, and if that didn't wake him, nothing short of throwing him out the window would.  Hôjun finally decided on the hold-his-nose-and-cover-his-mouth-until-he-can't-breathe-and-therefore-wakes-up method.  Taiyô usually wasn't a happy camper after that, though.  Hôjun would have to be prepared for the random payback his brother would almost undoubtedly bestow upon him sometime that day.

After sufficiently bringing his brother to an acceptable level of consciousness, Hôjun again ran out into the main part of the house and succeeded on making it out the front door this time.  He noticed that his younger sister, Hanabira, was up and playing with the carved wooden horse their father had given her under the watchful eye of their mother.  Hanabira was only two, after all, so she needed constant watching.

As he got outside, he noticed Hikô already running toward him with a big grin on his face.  "Ohayô, Hôjun!  Tanjôbi omedetô!  Kôran will be out as soon as she finishes dressing.  What do you want to do?  I found a new trail up in the woods!  We _gotta_ explore it!  Ne?  Ne?"

"Yeah," Hôjun replied almost absentmindedly.  Kôran had just emerged from her home and was coming toward them.  He didn't know why, but he always felt something different for Kôran than he did his other friends.  It was like something more than friendship, but he didn't know what.  He had asked his parents about it, but they had just smiled knowingly and said he'd figure it out on his own when he got older.  That had only served to confuse the poor boy more.

They stood a safe distance away from all the activity in the road and chattered about how they'd go about exploring that new trail.  A little bit later, Hôjun's mother called him in for breakfast at about the same time Hikô and Kôran's mothers called them in for breakfast.  It always happened that way!  They had always wondered if their mothers met up with one another and coordinated their activities.  It was just too uncanny.

After the children had eaten and convinced their mothers that they'd be safe on the new trail (Kôran had to use the excuse of being with two boys), they ran up the river to the woods, laughing all the way.*

*Yes, I know it sounds like they're dashing though the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.

They got to the trail and went down, cautiously.  Or, if you will, as cautiously as two ten-year-old boys and a nine-year-old girl wished to go.  They went quite a ways down until they found a sufficient hiding spot, and staked a "hideout".  It had no purpose, really, except the fact that the three kids now "owned" that part of the woods.  They spent about as much time there as it took them to get bored and leave the spot until another day, and headed back to town, as it was nearly midday, and all three kids' stomachs were growling.  Kôran was a bit distressed, as it wasn't ladylike for her stomach to be growling like it was.  Hôjun and Hikô always wondered why she spent most of her time with them if she so much admired proper lady's behavior.  They certainly never encouraged her to shy away from such "boyish" activities as they participated in, unless it was a totally unspeakable activity for a girl or a woman, such as engaging in play-fights, as Hôjun and Hikô did from time to time.  Still, Kôran was determined to act like a lady, though she didn't always adhere to that determination.

After the midday meal, they again joined up, only this time they went out to an unfarmed field not far from town.  The soil on that patch of land wasn't good for much except growing copious amounts of weeds, but the tall grass was perfect for hiding in.  They met up with some of their other friends, and they all engaged in a several-hours-long game of hide-and-seek.  By the time they had all decided they had enough of crouching in the grass to last for a week, they dispersed to their homes.  When Hôjun, Hikô, and Kôran reached the road that held their houses, Hikô saw his mother emerge from the front door of his home to come looking for him.  He said goodbye and happy birthday, and ran back home to were his mother was waiting with a light scolding for not coming back a little sooner.  When Hikô was inside, Kôran turned to Hôjun and did something he least expected her to do.

"Tanjôbi omedetô, Hôjun-kun," she said.  However, instead of just saying "sayonara" and heading to her house, she wrapped her small arms around him in a tight hug.  He was surprised, to say the least, but he embraced her back, a slight blush staining his cheeks.  They pulled apart and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.  "You're my best friend, you know."

She turned and went down the road to where she lived, and he just stood there, strange, unidentifiable emotions running through him.  He remained standing there, staring in the direction she had gone.  It wasn't until he heard his father's voice asking if he was going to stand there all night or come inside that he broke his trance and went inside where supper was just about ready to be served.  As he went inside, he wondered vaguely just how many people had seen him and Kôran hugging like that.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:  **Yay!  The first chapter of my first fanfic is done!  How did it turn out?  I'd really like you to send any comments you have on it, as it's my first fanfic and I don't know what people think of my writings yet.  Mail me at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai, onegai, onegai shimasu!


	2. Courtship

**Author's Notes:  **See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation (of course, you don't really need an explanation anymore, seeing as you're on chapter two and already know what this is all about).

Love, Life, and Death

By Annie-chan

Chapter Two:  Courtship 

It was good to be alive!  Hôjun ran through the village in search of his two best friends.  It was the beginning of summer, and Hôjun had been fifteen for about a month and a half.  Of course, he wouldn't be so thrilled it was summer when the weather got really hot in a few months and everything he did seemed to be accompanied with a thin film of sweat.  It always happened that way in Kônan-koku.  Every time the season changed, Hôjun was happy to see the old season go and the new season come in.  He always wondered how he could ever have been excited about the last season when it started, but the cycle just kept on going and going and going…*

*Enter pink bunny.

The Summer Festival was just a few days away, and the town of Shôryû was a whirl of activity, more so than usual, even compared to the busiest day of the week.  It wasn't the biggest town in Kônan-koku, but it was the biggest in the northern region in which it nestled into a small valley surrounded by forest and mountains, and cut through by the mighty Shôryû River.  The town laid just a little ways away from the river, and there was a great, gnarled old willow tree near the bank, the only tree in the valley beyond the line of the forest around the edge.  Hôjun, Hikô, and Kôran liked to play around that willow, climbing it and trying to keep it between themselves and whoever was "it" in a game of tag.  His father, Tsuyosa, had told Hôjun that that tree had been there since long before his great-great-great-grandparents had first come to this valley with some of the first settlers of the town.  Apparently, one of the neighboring towns thought itself to be getting too big for the little bowl of land between the mountains it lay under, and many of the families had moved out in search of a suitable site for a second town.  They had found this valley and founded the tiny town of Shôryû, the Rising Dragon.  A freak landslide destroyed the first town not too long after that, and the displaced townsfolk had come to live in the little town next to the mighty river, which was in a larger valley than the first town had been in, and therefore had more space for the people.  Since then, Shôryû had grown quite a bit, until it took up a large part of the little valley.

But, Hôjun wasn't thinking about the history of his hometown at the moment.  He was thinking about the Summer Festival in a few days, and how much fun he would have with Hikô and Kôran.  They always had the best of times at the Four Seasonal Festivals, and Hôjun wasn't about to make this year's Summer Festival any exceptions.

He saw his two best friends near the southern entrance to the town, helping with the clothes some dancers would wear in the town square the night of the festival.  Kôran was putting the last touches on the seams and Hikô was taking them over to the head dancer's house next to where they were working.  It wasn't a big job, and the dancers were helping too, so the task was just about finished.  Hikô's older sister, Yûgasa, was one of the dancers, and she had apparently talked her little brother into helping with all this.  Hôjun had just come himself from making festival decorations for his father's small shop.  His father was a carpenter and woodcarver, and could make anything from a table to children's toys to women's hair ornaments.  Hôjun had been taking lessons, and was pretty good at it himself.

"Kôran!  Hikô!" he called as he got to the spot they were working.  "Are you almost done?  Can you take a break for a while and take a walk with me in the woods?"

"Yeah, we're almost done, and yeah, as far as I know, we can take a break," Hikô replied.  "Nêsan said she doesn't know of anymore work Tôsan and Kâsan have for us."  He made a face.  "We wouldn't have been doing this, but Nêsan snagged us as we were about to look for you."

"I don't think I have anything else to do, either," Kôran said softly.  She always spoke softly; she had since she had turned about twelve.  It was a welcome change from the raucous child she had been, according to her mother, for young ladies don't go yelling like a boy every time they went out.  Kôran's tone of voice always changed when she was talking to or about Hôjun, though.  It was hard to explain how, but it was somehow…different.

"All right!  So, let's go!" Hôjun said.  Hikô and Kôran had just finished and all three of them were anxious to get away from the commotion of the town.  They were excited about the festival in a few days, but they wanted to get away from all the preparations and noise.

"Okay, let me change my shirt, though, it has a mud stain from this mor—ah!  Itai!!!!!!!!!"  Hikô was interrupted by a crash and his own exclamation of pain.  A ladder someone had been standing on to measure a roof for hanging decorations suddenly cracked and broke.  The person standing on it had managed to jump free and avoid injury, but the top of the ladder swung down, attached to the rest by just a thin strip of wood, and smacked Hikô in the shin.  He stumbled back into Hôjun and fell to the ground, dragging the lighter-haired boy with him.

"Hikô!  Daijôbu ka?!" Hôjun nearly yelled.  The ladder falling down had startled him, giving him an energy burst, but Hikô's cry worried him, and the extra energy just made his worry worse.

"No," the older boy groaned, and tried to stand up.  He promptly sunk back to the ground.  "Kuso!  I don't think I can stand.  Damn it, I need a doctor!"

Luckily, the town medic's house was just a few doors down, and he had come when he heard the crash.

"I'm right here, now just calm down.  Let me see."  He pulled up Hikô's pant leg and checked for any serious injury.  "You're in luck, my boy!  It's not broken.  I don't think it's even cracked.  It's just been terribly bruised.  Keep your weight off it and it should heal up enough for you to run fine in two or three days.  Don't worry; you'll be on your feet again by the time of the festival!  Now come over to my house, and let's get it bandaged so it doesn't get hurt anymore than it is."

"Er, okay," Hikô managed.  The medic was one of those overly happy people, and his fine-and-dandy attitude could get on your nerves a bit.  He didn't seem to be too bubbly today, but he always had that tone of voice that just makes you want to grind your teeth together.

Hôjun and the medic helped Hikô up and into the medic's house.

"Hôjun, you and Kôran take that walk in the woods without me.  I'm not going anywhere today," Hikô said.

"But, Hikô—" Hôjun started.

"Go on!  I'll be fine.  You know how I hate people to worry over me anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Hôjun replied.  "All right, we'll come back and see how you're doing real soon."

He and Kôran said their goodbyes to Hikô and the medic and walked out of town toward the forest.  They walked alongside the river to the forest edge, and they stopped and looked at an old, overgrown pathway.

"Hey, remember on my birthday five years ago when Hikô led us down that trail?" Hôjun asked.

"Yes, of course I remember," Kôran said quietly.  "We kept going back to that little clearing a ways back for maybe two weeks."  They both laughed.  Children's interest in things wears out so quickly.

They took a more used path into the woods that led to a large clearing that seemed to cut everything inside off from the outside world.  It was the perfect place for a quiet picnic or reflective meditations.

_Or_, Hôjun thought, _for young lovers to be by themselves._

He mentally startled.  Why had he thought that?  He didn't have a lover, and he knew of no one to be one for him.

Or did he?

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a rustling sound and a startled gasp from Kôran.  There were a few bushes in the clearing, and as they walked toward them, two large birds that had been hidden in the biggest suddenly took to the air, squawking their displeasure of having "their" clearing invaded by two of those strange, two-legged beasts that lived in the valley.  Kôran reflexively grabbed Hôjun's arm when the birds burst out of the bush, for they frightened her.  But when she realized the outburst was just two annoyed birds, she calmed back down.  However, she didn't let go of Hôjun's arm right away.  They continued on toward the center of the clearing, but stopped at the same time and as one looked down to where Kôran was holding on to Hôjun's arm.

She blushed profusely.  "Ano, sumimasen, Hôjun-kun," she stammered, clearly embarrassed by her actions.  She didn't look at his face, and therefore didn't see that he was blushing as well.  Silence hung heavy in the air.  Hôjun finally broke the silence, and Kôran minutely jumped in surprise as his voice suddenly sounded in the stillness.

"Don't be sorry," he said quietly, in a near whisper.  "You've done nothing wrong."  She looked up at him, something akin to joy in her eyes.  Hesitantly, shyly, he slipped his hand into hers, and they continued to walk to the clearing's center.  There was a sakura tree right in the center of the clearing, it's blossoms nearly gone, replaced by small buds that would eventually turn into cherries.  It was a tall tree, and Hôjun remembered several I-can-climb-higher-than-you contests he and Hikô had had in that tree.

The two sat down at the base of the tree, still holding hands.  Both of them still had a slight blush on their cheeks, and their voiced were hushed, as if they were afraid of breaking whatever spell seemed to be cast upon them.  They talked of their families.  Hanabira had turned into quite the little talker, and was probably the bubbliest little seven-year-old in Shôryû.  Kôran's mother was expecting and was due within the next few months.  And, judging by the size of her, there was a good chance of it being twins.  As they talked, they failed to notice that they were subconsciously moving closer to one another.  It wasn't until Hôjun let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders did they notice that they were so very close to one another.

They both froze when they turned their heads to look at one another.  There faces were mere inches apart.  And the emotions the each saw in the other's eyes…

"Kôran, I…" Hôjun began.

"Hôjun…" she whispered back.

"Kôran, I…I…"  He stopped.  He realized exactly how he felt for her like he realized a slap in the face.  But—

In a split second, he thought, _My voice isn't working…I have to show her instead; show her what I feel for her…_

Before his mind could completely understand what his heart was telling his body what to do, he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers.

He pulled back almost immediately, his mind finally catching up to his heart.  Their eyes were wide, and the blush had returned to their cheeks full force.

"Hôjun—" she started to speak, but stopped as he kissed her again.  This time, he was sure of what he wanted, and planned to show her that he cared very deeply for her.  He himself had just realized it not one minute ago.

His arms went around her, pulling her to his chest, cradling her slender form protectively.  His heart thrilled when he felt her arms wrap around him, signaling him not to stop.  But, he needed to stop.  No matter how much he loved her, he needed to breathe.  They broke apart and he held her tightly to him, feeling like he could hold her like this for the rest of his life.

"Kôran," he whispered into her hair.  "Ai shiteru.  Itsumo."  He kissed her hair.  "Always remember that."

"Hôjun," she whispered back into the folds of his tunic.  "Ai shiteru mo.  I—I think I always have."

His heart filled to near bursting with joy.  He tightened his arms around her.  "Now I know what I have always felt for you."

"Mm?"

"Ever since I can remember, I have felt something special for you, but I have never known what it meant until now.  It was love."

"Really?"  She looked up at him.  "I have always felt something special for you, too.  It must have been love as well, for it's all I can feel right now."

He smiled and kissed her lightly.  "I hate to say this, but we'd best be getting back now.  Hikô's waiting for us.  I don't want to leave him alone too long with that chatterbox of a doctor."

She laughed brightly.  They got up and walked back the way they had come, their arms around each other's waists.  As they neared the town, however, shyness overtook both of them and they dropped their arms from one another almost at the same time.  They blushed, and stopped walking to wait for the blush to subside before walking into the village.  As they neared the doctor's house, Hôjun looked over to Kôran and smiled slightly.

_Somehow, I'm not surprised_, he thought.  _We're both so shy about something like love.  I guess we can keep this our own little secret for now._

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:  **Well, how do you like their first kiss?  Well, kisses (make that plural).  Any questions or comments?  How about constructive criticism?  Any DEstructive criticism, and you'll be getting a nasty e-mail right back, courtesy of yours truly.  Send whatever you want to say to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	3. Proposal

**Author's Notes:  **See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation (but, I hope you haven't read this far and still need an explanation at this point).

Love, Life, and Death

By Annie-chan

Chapter Three:  Proposal 

Ah, spring.  Hôjun lay in the sun in a grass field not too far from the village.  He had been seventeen for two weeks now.  Hikô had turned seventeen back in winter, and Kôran had turned sixteen about a month ago.  They were adults now, and were treated as such, not like the happy-go-lucky children they had been.  They still enjoyed a good time, but more of they're time was spent doing "adult things."  Hôjun had been in his father's shop much more often, conducting business or carving out little wooden toys or hair ornaments.  His father and older brother did most of the furniture, while he focused on the littler things.  Hikô, the oldest boy in his family, had been using up most of his time in his father's blacksmith shop, for he would eventually take over the business himself.  Finally, Kôran was mostly at home, learning how best to raise a family and be a good wife when she got married.

Married…Hôjun had been wanting for a long time to ask her to marry him, but the right time and place never seemed to come up.  They had been lovers, more or less, for almost two years.  More or less, because, even though they both knew that they each loved the other very much, they were both so shy about expressing their feelings outwardly that nobody but they knew that they were in love with each other.

Hôjun sighed and shaded his eyes from the sun as it came into his field of vision.  He wanted the others to know, and he was sure Kôran did, too.  They either just never got around to telling, or were attacked by shyness whenever they did.  It was a problem, and he wanted it solved soon.  Besides, if it wasn't, other young men in the village may start advancing on her; she was certainly beautiful enough to attract many suitors.  She was just around Hôjun and Hikô more often than not, so other young men usually kept their distance.  It was the same as if she had two protective older brothers; they just didn't want to take the chance of suddenly having two angry guys chasing them away from her.  But, Hôjun knew that wouldn't keep them away forever.

His stomach growled.  _Time to get back_, he thought.  _I'm hungry, and Tôsan and Niisan are expecting me to help with some chairs today._  He got up and headed home, still wondering how and when to ask Kôran to marry him.  And when that happened (_If it ever does_, he thought wryly), how and when would they break the news to everybody?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was the middle of summer, and the heat was nearing unbearable.  It seemed warmer than usual this year, and Hôjun's absurd fringe of bangs was stuck to his forehead with sweat.  He and his father and brother were just coming back from the forest, dragging fresh-cut wood back home.  He did not look forward to chopping it into smaller, more manageable pieces when they got back home.  They would of course take a short break when they got there, but that wouldn't help much.

_Shikata ganai_, he thought.  _We can't run out of wood to work with just because we don't want to get a little sweaty._  He glanced balefully down at himself.  He had left his tunic at home, and the shirt he wore was now dark with sweat.  _A little sweaty my ass_, he thought with just a tad bit of annoyance.  _I'll need a bath after this.  Otherwise, I'll stink like an overexerted horse._

There were a few hot springs and warm springs a little inside the forest to the west of Shôryû, on the opposite side of the town as the river.  Hôjun always liked going there better than hauling water from the river and heating it over a fire to get it warm.  No sense in doing all that when you can just take a fifteen-minute walk instead.  Surprisingly enough, though, few of the townsfolk ever went there.  Hôjun was happy about that.  He'd rather take a bath alone and contemplate nature than to risk someone else seeking a clean skin blundering in and disturbing the quiet.  Besides, Hôjun didn't even know if he'd be able to bring himself to go there at the same time a woman or girl was there, even if they were in different springs and several rocks separated them.  He blushed a bit thinking about it, which was hardly noticeable, as his skin was already flushed from the heat.

They got the wood home, and Hôjun considered changing his clothes.  He, after thirty seconds of thinking, decided not to.  After all, he'd just get the second outfit as sweaty as this one chopping the wood, and his mother never liked extra laundry if it could be avoided.  _I guess I can stand a little discomfort_, he thought.  Then, he corrected himself: _A little _more_ discomfort._

It took nearly an hour to get all the wood chopped and put into place in back of the shop, and Hôjun was near exhausted by the time they finished.  Yes, they took two breaks during the work, due to the heat, but he was still rather happy that it was finally over.  It was getting near time that his mother would start cooking for the evening meal, and Hôjun needed to get that bath done beforehand so he would smell better than he was at the moment.  His father and Taiyô were going to take baths as well, but they would do it with water taken from the Shôryû River, as most people in the village did.  Hôjun, though, was going to head over to the hot springs.

_I wonder why hardly anybody ever goes there_, he thought absentmindedly.  He had once asked if there was a specific reason why, but the only answer he got from everybody he asked seemed to be that they just didn't go there.  He had also asked if it was dangerous or something, but, again, everybody he asked gave the same answer: no, they just didn't bother to walk into the woods just for a bath when they could get water from the river running right next to the town.

_Oh well_, he thought.  _Their loss._  He helped put the tools they had used away, made sure he wasn't needed for anything else, and started off for the springs.  The day was just beginning to cool off, but it was still rather warm.  The summer birds were starting to quiet their songs, so silence was slowly creeping through the trees.  As he made his way down the trail toward the springs, he spied a vixen darting through the underbrush, followed be three kits.  She stopped and looked at him for a moment before disappearing into the bushes, her babies disappearing right after her.  He never knew why, but animals never seemed frightened around him as they did around other humans.  If he had been any other person, she probably would have fled as soon as she had seen him, instead of stopping to watch him as she did.  Hôjun continued on.

He reached the spring grounds.  There was one large one surrounded by several smaller ones, and a few had boulders in the middle, making for good places to lean up against.  The largest one had a very large boulder in it, with three distinct sides to it.  Hôjun walked over to this one, undressed,* and slipped in on one of the sides away from the trail.  The water was deep enough there to come up to his mid-chest, and he decided just to let himself soak for a while, and let the warm water relax his tired muscles.  The water was very soothing, and he soon felt himself begin to nod off.  He was jerked back to full consciousness a few minutes later at the sound of someone getting in the water on one of the other sides of the large boulder.

*Tantalizing image, ne? ^_^

_Kuso_, he thought.  _There's someone else here.  In the same spring, too!  They must not have known I was here._  He was about to speak out to let the newcomer know he was there, but stopped himself, blushing.  _What if it's a woman?!  Oh, great Suzaku, please don't let it be!_

His flustered thoughts were interrupted by a feminine voice sighing to no one in particular, "It's so quiet here."  It was indeed a woman, but…

_Kôran!_  His cheeks flamed bright red.  He and the woman he loved, both without a stitch on their bodies, were separated only by the boulder in the middle of the spring.  And, that boulder suddenly seemed so very small.  A very naughty thought invaded his mind, but he managed to fling it out, slapping himself mentally.  It was so very hard not to act on that thought, though…

_Stop it!_ he ordered himself.  _You're not married!  You're not even engaged!  It wouldn't be right to do…that._  His adolescent body begged rather strongly to differ.  _Hormones…it's only hormones_, he thought, trying to keep control.  His mind suddenly focused on one specific part of his thoughts.  _Engaged…oh, if only we were…Suzaku knows I want her to be mine!  But, I told myself when I was younger I wouldn't do…that…until my wedding night!  But now, I don't know if I can wait that long!_  It was a wonder his cheeks didn't burn right off.  He was blushing so hard, and his body had warmed up substantially.  It was a wonder the water around him, already hot, didn't start boiling right then and there.

He had been so trapped in his frantic thoughts, that he almost missed the sound of her getting out.  She had apparently bathed quickly, for he heard her leave a few minutes later.  Tremendous relief flooded his entire being.  His tensed body relaxed, and he felt himself cool down again.  He just sat there for a few more minutes, letting himself calm down.  _That was certainly unexpected_, he thought with a wry grin.  Looking at the sun, he noted that he should start back soon.  He finished in the spring, dried himself with the towel he had brought, dressed,* and started back, his mind still cemented firmly on the girl who held his soul.

*Aww…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Summer was nearing its end for the year, and Hôjun still had yet to ask Kôran the question he so longed to ask her.  He was starting to hate himself for holding off for so long.  No too long ago, another young man named Unubore had been showing interest in Kôran—_his_ Kôran!  Hôjun was outraged, but knew not how to get his cocky peer away from her without either making a scene or getting Unubore to spread some rumor about him, Kôran, or both.  Unubore had been one of the town bullies as a young boy, and though he had matured quite a bit, Hôjun doubted that he had lost all his bullyboy tendencies.

Kôran, thank Suzaku, had shown no interest toward Unubore.  That wouldn't stop Hôjun's unwitting enemy, though.  Nothing short of an embarrassing turndown or the fact that she was engaged to someone else would, probably.  The former bully was known for grabbing hold of whatever he wanted and never letting go until he was forced in one way or another.

No matter what, Hôjun was feeling more pressed than ever to ask Kôran to marry him.  Whether Unubore was after her or not, he wanted more than anything to ask her that simple question.  _Oh, Kôran, I love you with all my soul…_

He had made his decision.  _Tomorrow.  I'll ask her tomorrow._  He got up and walked back toward the house.  Butterflies of every shape, size, and type were having a late summer dance in his stomach.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The morning dawned bright and warm, probably one of the last mornings like this until next spring.  Hôjun awoke, as usual, courtesy of Taiyô nearly knocking him out of bed in his sleep.  He grumbled and shoved his brother over, giving himself more room.  He had nearly fallen back asleep again when his eyes flew open at a sudden remembrance.  Today was the day.  The day he would ask Kôran to be his.  He was immediately nervous.  Getting up and dressing, he hoped that some breakfast would calm his nerves.

It did…sort of.  He went about his morning chores mechanically, his mind on only one thing.  He was exceedingly glad he did not see Kôran, for he didn't know what he'd do if he did.  He ran into Hikô once, and the older boy seemed puzzled by the out-of-place nervousness in Hôjun.  What did he have to be nervous about?  It was a beautiful day, and nothing big was happening in the village until the Autumn Festival in two months.

Chores finished, Hôjun went about looking for Kôran.  He probably wouldn't ask her right off, but he wanted to be with her at the moment.  He wanted to be with her at every moment, but that was a little impossible, unfortunate as it may be.  She was nowhere to be found in the village, but someone told him that they saw her heading into the forest to the northwest with a flower basket.  He grinned.  _She wants to get some more of those late summer flowers before the wilt.  She's always picking flowers between March and October._

He set off for the forest.  _If I know her, she'll probably be in that little clearing with all the pink flowers.  She always liked those best._

He was right.  There she was, kneeling in a patch of grass among the flowers, her face turned up to the sun that streamed through the leaves of the trees, her eyes closed against the bright light.  Her basket was full of flowers, and she'd most likely be heading home soon.  He walked up to her quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence of the forest, broken only by the soft whisper of the breeze and the chirping of a lone, but happy, bird not far away.

"Kôran?" he nearly whispered.  "Are you awake?"  Indeed, she looked like she had fallen asleep sitting up.  She jumped minutely at his voice, turned her face toward him, and opened her eyes.

"Hôjun," she said with a smile.  "I didn't know you were here.  Sit down with me."  She moved over a bit and he did.  He took hold of her hand and kissed it reverently.  She blushed and turned away, not meeting his loving gaze.

"Kôran," he said, "please don't be shy around me."  Strange hearing himself say that, for he wasn't much better than her.  "I love you.  I'll always love you, no matter what happens to us."  He took hold of her chin and gently turned her face toward him.  To his surprise and dismay, he found tears threatening to spill over.  "Kôran?  What's wrong, Koibito?"

Her voice seemed close to breaking.  "Oh, Hôjun, do you really mean that?"

He answered her with a kiss, soft and tentative, but still firm and definite.  When he pulled back, he touched his forehead to hers.  "Of course I mean that," he whispered.  "I mean it with all my heart."  As much as he loved her, he had never confessed like he had just then.  It had all gone unsaid before.

Tears flowed with unchecked abandon down her smooth cheeks.  She flung her arms around him and pulled him close, pressing her face against his sky blue hair.  "Hôjun, I love you!" she sobbed joyfully.  "You're my dearest treasure in this whole world!  I…I…"

She trailed off, crying into his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth in his arms.  Tears had made their way down his own face, and he suddenly felt no apprehension about what he meant to ask her.  He gently pushed her back until he was looking straight into her beautiful violet eyes.  His voice came out clear and full of the deepest love, shaking just the slightest bit.

"Kôran, marry me.  I want you to be my wife.  I think I have wanted it my entire life."

She had gone very still.  Her eyes shone with adoration and her tears had stopped.  "Hôjun, of course I'll marry you.  I've been waiting for you to ask me since before I can remember."  Her voice was soft, and he could read the emotions in it as if a scroll from one of the town's scholars lay open in front of him.  He took her face in his hands and sealed their promise with a kiss, much deeper and loving than the last.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Just outside the clearing, the shadows concealing him from view, an aqua-haired young man stood with his back against a tree staring into the forest away from the two lovers in the flower patch.  Tears marked his face as well, but out of grief and pain, not love and joy.  Oh, great Suzaku, how long had they loved?!  A long time it seemed.  Gods, he had no idea!  He thought them just friends, and now they were engaged to be married!

_I should be happy for them_, he thought, trying in vain to stop the flow of tears.  _They obviously love each other very much, and I have never said anything to her to let her know my feelings._  The tears flowed harder.  He had been walking back to town from getting some herbs in the wood for his mother and older sister when he heard their voices.  He had meant to join them, but had stopped short when he heard exactly what they were talking about.  Now his whole world seemed to be crashing down around him.

_Kôran, Kôran!_ he thought desperately.  _You…you love him…Hôjun…oh, Suzaku, I never knew!  Why…WHY, Suzaku?!  Why must you be so cruel to me?!  You are the God of Love…why must you take love away from me?!  Why?!  Why?!?!  WHY?!?!?!?!_

Bitter tears streaming down his cheeks, Hikô ran as fast as he could away from the clearing, crushing the small handful of herbs in his hand.  _Gods…oh, gods, Kôran!  I love you!  I love you!  I have always loved you!_

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Yay!  I'm done with this chapter!  School's been on my back lately, and I'm getting ready for my SAT in June.  I wasn't in school today, due to having a broken tooth extracted, allowing me to get on the ball and finish this chapter.  There's an up side to everything, I guess.  Please send any comments to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  I'd really like to hear from anybody who likes this story.  If you're just going to flame me, don't bother…you'll just get a nasty e-mail right back.


	4. Betrayal

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death

By Annie-chan

Chapter Four:  Betrayal 

It was spring again, soon after Hôjun had turned eighteen.  He and Kôran were to be married in two weeks, and the weather was wonderful.  Hôjun couldn't have been more content.

He sat in the back of his father's shop, staring at a rectangular piece of wood, trying to decide what best to carve out of it.  He wanted to make a little gift for his beloved fiancée, but was in the dark as to what.  His mind drifted back to that day in the flower patch, the day he had proposed to her.  That day still held him in awe, for it was the day they had both promised to love and cherish the other for all time.  He smiled wistfully as he remembered.  It then struck him what he would make her: a hair ornament shaped like the pink flowers in the patch, the flowers that so resembled cherry blossoms.  That decision finally made, he picked up his carving knife and set to work.

_Maybe she could wear it at our wedding if I make it pretty enough_, he thought.  A boyish grin spread across his face at the thought.  _Our wedding…if only it would get here sooner!_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

One week left.  Hôjun hadn't finished the hair ornament he had started.  In fact, he hadn't gotten very far with it at all.  What with the work in the shop to be done and the preparations for the wedding, he hadn't had much time to himself to work on it.  It didn't concern him too much, for he could finish it in an hour and a half to two hours if need be, but he didn't want to rush it.  He only wanted his best work possible for a gift to his dear Kôran.

Something was amiss, though.  Hikô had seemed to be getting rather distant from both of them.  Yes, he seemed happy enough when they announced that they were getting married in the spring, but since then, he seemed to be drifting away.  That deeply troubled Hôjun, and he knew Kôran was concerned about it as well.  What was ailing their best friend?  And why was he not seeking their help?  The three of them had always been pretty open with each other about their problems, so what was holding Hikô back this time?  It just wasn't like him.  Hôjun had broached the subject to him once, but the older boy had completely avoided his questions and changed the subject as quickly as he could.  Hôjun didn't try to talk with him about it since, but he still was extremely worried about his friend.

Work in the shop had been done for the night, and Hôjun took up the unfinished hair ornament and began to finish carving out the blossom shape.  Hanabira, now ten years old, came up behind him and watched him work.  He never minded her doing that as long as she didn't chatter nonstop in his ear, as was her fashion, but she never abided by that rule for very long.  Only about two minutes had passed since she had started watching, and she piped up with her enthusiastic twitter of a voice, "Is that for your iinazuke, Aniki?  Is it?"

He would have reprimanded her and told her to go somewhere else if it had been any other time or any other question, but this time and question, he merely grinned and continued working, a slight blush staining his cheeks.  Hanabira merely took this as a cue to keep talking.

"OH!  It is!  Can I see it?  Can I?  I bet it's going to be really pretty when you finish it!  You always carve the best hair things!  The one you gave me for my last birthday is just adorable!  Did I tell you that already?  I think I did.  Or maybe I didn't.  Oh well, if I didn't before I did now.  What color are you going to paint this one?  I think blue would look cute on her, or maybe purple.  What do you think?  I'm sure it'll look good on her if _you're_ making it for her.  I bet you know exactly what would look good on her.  Do you know what she's wearing for your wedding?  What are _you_ wearing?  I know what I'm gonna wear.  I'm gonna wear—"

Hôjun had had enough.  No matter how much he loved his little sister, she grated on his last nerve ends when she got going like this.

"GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!" he roared.  She jumped back with a look of surprise on her face.  She then walked away to her bedroom with a hurt look.  He wasn't worried.  She'd forget it all in ten minutes.  She always did.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tomorrow.  Tomorrow, they would be married.  Hôjun had butterflies as big as Suzaku in his stomach, and his entire family was in high spirits.  It would be the first wedding among the children.  Hanabira was too young, and Taiyô, twenty-two years old, hadn't found a girl to love yet.  Not that he had no luck with women; he just hadn't shone any special interest in any yet.  There was one named Shinsetsu that he was starting to spend more time with, and Hôjun thought that she was a perfect match for his niisan.  He hoped their relationship furthered.  It would be nice to have a kind young lady like her as a sister-in-law.

Hôjun had just put the finishing touches on the gift for Kôran, and just in time.  The wedding was tomorrow afternoon under the willow tree by the river, which was in full bloom.  The perfect spot for them to be married, in Hôjun's opinion.  At the moment, he was carving out the legs for a chair as he waited for the paint to dry on the hair ornament.  He had found the perfect shade of pink, and had taken great pains to get the paint job just perfect.

_She'll love this_, he had thought as he put the painting utensils away.  _I hope Hanabira has kept her mouth shut about it as I asked her to._  After all, what was a surprise gift if it wasn't a surprise?  Just an ordinary gift, that's what it was, not nearly as satisfying to give.

It wasn't that far into the day, and he hadn't seen Kôran yet.  With a smile, he let his thoughts drift to her and wondered what she was doing…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, near the willow tree by the river, Kôran was standing by the riverbank, watching the water drift by.  The level had risen a bit, signifying an increase of rainfall in the mountains.  It wasn't much, and nobody was worried much about it.  The Shôryû River changed its water levels off and on like this all the time.

Kôran wasn't thinking about the water levels in the river, though.  Her mind was as far away from that as it could possibly be.  She was thinking of the next day, when she would be married to the man who completed her soul, who was her reason for existing, who loved her more than she even thought possible.  He had been her friend for longer than she could remember, and now he was to be her husband, and she was to be his wife.  She let her face dissolve into a girlish smile.  Oh, if only tomorrow would get here soon!

"Kôran?" a voice asked from behind her.  She turned and beheld Hikô, the man she had come to love like the brother she never had.  She was the oldest in her family, with three sisters, two of them twins, younger than her.  She smiled and invited him to stand beside her.  He complied, but said nothing.  Something seemed to be bothering him, which seemed to be happening a lot lately.  Her smile disappeared, and she was just about to say something when he spoke softly, almost in a whisper:

"You're really looking forward to tomorrow, ne?  You look like you don't have a care in the world."  She couldn't identify his tone.  It was quiet and seemingly flat, but underneath lay an emotion that Kôran could not place.

She looked out toward the water.  "Yes, of course I am," she answered.  "I think I've been waiting for this day my entire life.  I've always known that I loved Hôjun, I think.  It's just something that seems so natural to me for us to be together."

Little did she know that every word that passed through her lips was like an assassin's knife ripping through his heart.  His hands clenched at his sides so hard he was sure he would break the skin, and his head bowed forward slightly, his bangs hiding his eyes from view.  He started to tremble, partly from the pain in his palms from his fingernails, partly from the pain in his soul from her unwittingly murderous words.  He felt as if his soul was dying within him, as if he was wasting away due to his intense, yet unreturned, love for the exquisite creature that stood beside him, totally unaware of the unspoken passion he held for her.

She noticed his trembling and was immediately worried.  "Hikô?" she questioned, laying a hand on his arm.  "Daijôbu?  Do you want to talk about anything?"

He felt her hand on his arm, and his body reacted before he realized what was happening.  He faced her and grabbed her upper arms tightly.  She gasped, unprepared for and surprised by his sudden action, and she looked up into his face, wide-eyed.  His eyes were strangely intense, and they drew her gaze as if she was physically being made to look into them.  She was about to protest his seizure of her when he spoke, his voice strong, yet with a slight tremor underneath.

"Kôran, I do have something I want to tell you, something you probably won't expect," he started, staring into her beautiful eyes.  "You and Hôjun are to be married tomorrow, and I want to tell you something before you are his forever."  He seemed to almost choke on the words "his forever."  The tremor in his voice was getting stronger.

Something in the back of her mind told her to get away.  Part of her was terrified of the man that held her in such a firm grip like this.  The pleas in her mind got stronger with every word he said until she indeed tried to pull away.  However, he only tightened his grip on her.

"Hikô…hanase…" she pleaded, her voice almost breaking.  Something was terribly wrong with her friend, and she felt the overpowering need to get away before he did something.

"No!  Not until I tell you this!  You need to know!"  He tightened his grip harder as she again tried to pull away.  Something told him that he was bruising her delicate skin, but he paid it no heed.  He pulled her closer until their faces were mere inches apart.  The fear in her eyes hurt him terribly, but he had gotten this far, there was no way to back out now.  He stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity before he finally whispered his secret.

"Kôran…I love you…I love you with all my soul."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_It should be dry by now_, Hôjun thought as he walked over to check on the hair ornament.  It was dry, as he thought.  _Now is as good a time as ever to give it to her._

He picked it up and ran out the door, in search of his love.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kôran was stunned.  Hikô, the man she thought of like a brother, had just confessed to loving her.  _This can't be happening_, she thought.  _It can't be right.  It can't!_

"Hikô…you can't really mean that," she said aloud.  She tried to keep the unevenness out of her voice, and she wasn't sure if she was succeeding or not.  "You know I love Hôjun.  I…I know you don't really mean what you said.  Hôjun and I will be married tomorrow, so you should forget about this crush.  You'll find a girl you really will love, so don't dwell on me.  I—"

She cut short when she saw the look in his eyes.  Tears were threatening, and a look of unimaginable despair dominated them.  She tried to pull away again, but he held firmly on.

"You…you think I don't mean what I said…th-that it's not true…that it's only a crush?!"  His voice was rising in intensity by the second.  "No!  No!  I do mean it!  I love you, Kôran!  I love you more than I ever could love anyone in the world!  I-I want you and Hôjun to be happy together!  I do!  But—"  He broke off, choking back tears.  It was a minute before he could continue.  "I want you and Hôjun to be happy together, but I had to tell you of my feelings!  I…I couldn't pretend I only thought of you as a friend anymore!  Don't you see?  It's not just a crush!  I really do love you!  I—"

"Hikô, no," she said, barely above a whisper.  "It…it _can't_ be true!"  The fact that Hikô was in love with her horrified her.  How could they be friends after this?  How could Hikô and Hôjun be friends after this?!  "Hikô, forget about this.  This never happened."

"You still don't believe me," he replied with a touch of bitterness.  "Fine, then.  I'll prove it to you."  Before she could say or do anything, he pulled her up against him and sealed his lips over hers.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He couldn't find her in the village, but her mother told him that she was probably by the willow tree by the river.  He grinned.

_We'll be married there tomorrow_, he thought with a thrill of happiness.  He set off for the riverbank in high spirits.  Well, he had been in high spirits for the last month or so, so right now was no different.  The willow tree wasn't far from the town proper, and he was soon walking up the hill on which it sat upon.  He started to run, anxious to give her the gift he had taken great pains to make just perfect.  He got to the tree and looked around it, a smile on his face.

The world dropped out from under him.  The smile on his face was immediately replaced with a look of shock and horror.  There, right on the edge of the river, stood Kôran…in the arms of his best friend, Hikô…kissing him.  His arm fell limply to his side, the hair ornament he had so lovingly carved falling to the grass with a dull thud.

"Dô shite…" he whispered, completely numb.  _Oh, Suzaku, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_  His hand went up to his mouth, unconsciously trying to stop the thin, pitiful wail that emitted from his throat.  Too late…

Kôran shoved back from Hikô with enough force to break his hold completely.  She froze, both in terror and shame, at the sight she saw.  There, half behind the willow tree, stood her beloved iinazuke, his hand up to his mouth, his face twisted in anguish.  As she watched, he began to back away, slowly shaking his head back and forth, as if trying to deny what he had just seen.

"Hôjun," she said, her voice pained.  "I—"

She got no further.  Her voice failed to work as he whimpered once, twice, then turned with a choked cry and fled.

"Hôjun!!!!!!!!!!!" she cried after him, but he didn't stop.  She started to run after him, but stopped when she nearly stepped on something in the grass.  A hair ornament, freshly painted.  _He must have made this for me…to show his love…and I…I…_

She collapsed to her knees, clutching the hair ornament tightly to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably.  She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Kôran, I—"

Hikô.  Sudden, unfamiliar rage swept through her body.  She leapt up and rounded on him furiously, slapping him viciously across the face, raking her fingernails across his cheek.  He gasped in surprise and pain, bringing his hand up to his injured cheek.  The skin wasn't broken through completely in most places, but nasty red welts were sure to form.  He turned to look at her, and the anger drained from her like water through a sieve when she saw tears begin to flow.

"Hikô…gomen nasai…_gomen nasai_!!!!!!"  With that, she turned and ran down the hill, toward the town.  Hikô watched her until she disappeared into the streets of Shôryû.  After she had vanished, he dropped to his knees.  He cried quietly, hardly making a sound, the tears dripping silently off his quivering chin.  His soul felt as if it had been scorched by the flames of the mighty Phoenix God himself.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Well, I got this one done fast.  Like it?  Don't like it?  Please send any comments to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  No flames allowed, though.


	5. Thoughts

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death

By Annie-chan

Chapter Five:  Thoughts 

Betrayed…betrayed…betrayed…betrayed…

That word keeps running trough my head…over and over and over…I cannot stop it.  Like a chant…a magic spell.  The ugliest word in my language…or any language for that matter.  _No…_

It's not true…it can't be true…no…no…_no…_

I love her…I love her with all my heart and soul…she…she said she loved me!  She told me in the flower patch that day…and many times since…she sounded so sincere!  I said it, too…we sealed the promise with a kiss…a kiss I meant more than I've ever meant anything in my life.  _I thought she meant it, too…_

Gods!  Gods!  Suzaku, why?!  Why did she lie to me like this?!  She _knew_ how I felt!  She was good enough a friend at least to tell me she loved Hikô and not me!  _She should have been, anyway…_

And Hikô…oh, Suzaku, why did he hide it from me as well?!  We are best friends!  I trust him more than my own brother!  We've been through so much together…since before I can remember, we were friends!

_How could they do this to me?!?!?!?!_

I run as fast as I can down the hill toward the town…no.  I can't face anyone there.  They don't know, but I can't show my face there even so.  I'm too distraught and ashamed.  I turn and run toward the forest…toward the shelter of the trees.  I don't know were I'm going…I just have to get away…away from the nightmare I just witnessed.  I stop suddenly as I realize I'm in a clearing.

The clearing where we first kissed.

I walk slowly to the sakura tree, my mind and body suddenly clear and calm.  It is beautiful in full bloom as it is now.  My mind pays no heed to the beauty.  All I can think of is…

I stop a few feet away and stare numbly at the spot we had sat and held hands…the spot we had sat when we shared our first kiss.

I had not shed any tears up until now…I was too shocked to let them flow.  A single droplet makes its way down my cheek.  As if it opened tremendously strained floodgates, many more follow almost immediately.  I stand perfectly still, the tears carving out paths down my face, searing hot against my chilled skin.

I can't take it anymore.  I close the distance between me and the tree and collapse at its base, howling my despair.  I scream my love's name, my entire body convulsing with agony at each sob and gasp.  _It can't be true!  It can't be true!  No!  No!  Nonononononono!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

I cry like that for a long time…I don't know how long…the better part of an hour probably.  In the back of my mind—so far back I didn't realize it crossed my mind until afterwards—I'm amazed no one heard me and came looking for the cause of the cacophony.  Finally, I start to quiet down…I'm exhausted from screaming.  My eyes are certain to be red and swollen.  I lay there, unimaginably tired.  My body trembles…nothing compared to the upheaval still quaking the very core of my soul.  In mere minutes, I have fallen into a deep sleep, unbroken by dreams.

I wake many hours later, the sun close to setting.  Any other day, I'd rush home, afraid I had made somebody wait because of some job they need my help with.  Besides, Okâsan likes to know where I am.  But, now I merely walk back home, my head hanging low and my spirit in shambles.  I get home nearly half and hour later.  I am not aware that I have not eaten anything since morning.  I only want to avoid my family…I can't answer any questions right now.  They look at me, concerned, as I walk in the door and to my room.  A few questions are asked, but I hardly hear them.  Without a word, I collapse on the bed, shivering.  I won't get much sleep tonight.

As I lay staring at the wall for what seems like an eternity, I wonder why Taiyô hasn't come in to bed.  It's about the time he usually goes to bed.  He probably thought I need the room to myself tonight.  I am thankful.

Tomorrow, first thing, I have to see her…make sure it's not just some horrible nightmare.  Well past midnight, I finally fall into an uneasy sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hôjun!  What have I let happen, my love?!

Hikô kissing me had been a terrible shock, but for Hôjun to see it…oh, it never should have happened!  Hikô loves me!  Why, oh why did I push him to forget about it?!  He never would have had to prove it to me as he did!  I so ashamed of myself…

The look on Hôjun's face…I'll never forget that look.  The image is burned into my brain…it will haunt me forever…never letting me rest…

My beloved Hôjun…I have betrayed you in the worst possible manner.  You love me so much, and I love you just as much…I let another man kiss me…you saw…my whole word has shattered and buried its razor shards in my heart and lungs.  It hurts so much…

I run through the town, tears flowing unchecked down my face.  My hand still stings from slapping Hikô…the man who claimed to love me with all his being.  It's not fair!  Why did this have to happen between the three of us?!

Several people call for me to stop, apparently concerned about a woman who's to be married the next day that's running through the town with tears on her face.  I pay them no mind…I just want to get to the safety of my home.

Nobody is home.  Nobody except my oldest younger sister, Uta.  I burst in through the door, nearly jump over the low table, and hide in my bedroom.  I throw myself onto my bed, weeping.  I hardly make a sound…but the tears are sure to drown me should many more come.

I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder…I need not look up, for my visitor speaks, telling me who it is.  My sister, Uta.  She asks my what is wrong, terrified at the state her nêsan has come home in…the day before her wedding, no less.

My wedding…oh, how can it happen now?  Hôjun must hate me for betraying him…and Hikô must hate me for rejecting him so viciously.  His face will have marks for a while.  The tears intensify.

I ask Uta to leave me alone, and she slowly and quietly walks out, after a hesitation to leave me like this.

I cry myself to sleep.  I wake up quite a while later, feeling no better than I did when I went to sleep.  My stomach tells me faintly that I'm hungry, so I get up to find something to eat.  I eat silently, not meeting anyone's eyes, talking as much as I'm looking.  My family is worried by my silence, and Okâsan asks me what is the matter.  I can't tell her…I can't tell anyone right now.

I go back to my room without uttering a word the whole time.  I lie down and stare out the window at the moon.  Sleep will be a long time in coming.

Hôjun, I can't marry you anymore.  I'm not worthy of you…you deserve so much more.  Much more than the cheating little wretch I am.  _I'm so sorry…_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

What have I done?  _What have I done?!_

I never meant it to happen this way!  I only wanted her to know what I felt for her!  Suzaku, I was such an _idiot_ for thinking I could kiss her!

I never deserved her…such a beautiful and wonderful girl like her needs someone much better…like Hôjun.  I love her…I should have loved her enough to leave her alone, to keep on with my life.  But, I didn't, and know look what's happened…

How stupid of me…how completely, utterly _stupid_ of me!  How could I think she would just quietly listen to me and accept what I told her?  I _know_ she loves Hôjun more than anything else in the world.  Why couldn't I just keep my big mouth shut?!

I have ruined everything.  The gods know how this will affect their marriage.  I kneel by the willow tree, tears sliding down my cheek.  It stings where Kôran's fingernails gouged into my skin.  I deserved that slap…that, and so much worse.

I return to the village quite a while later.  I had managed to make myself look semi-normal, but it's taking me all my strength and mental stamina to keep myself like that.  I go through the work at the forge automatically, my spirit crushed and not up to concentrating on anything.  I'm amazed I didn't screw up with the hammer and anvil, or the bellows keeping the fire hot.

I go to bed at the end of the day, drained in almost every way conceivable.  Tomorrow, I must talk to Kôran…to beg her to forgive me and to try to put it behind herself.  I drift off to sleep, my slumber invaded by strange dreams…all with Kôran's frightened eyes and Hôjun's look of pure anguish…they keep dancing incessantly across my dreams.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Done with this one.  I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I hope it's soon.  So, like the first-person point of view for this chapter?  Hate it?  I don't know if I'm going to use it anymore in this story, but for a chapter called "Thoughts," it just seemed to be appropriate.  Please e-mail any comments to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  Please, no flames…I don't take kindly to them.


	6. Rejection

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation (got this part memorized yet?).

Love, Life, and Death

By Annie-chan

**Chapter Six:  Rejection**

Hikô awoke the next morning, the sun on its way through the sky, shining brightly.  It contrasted darkly with the young man's mood.  He felt scarcely better than he did the night before, his thoughts cluttered with self-hatred and remorse.  He had to go see Kôran as soon as possible.  He hoped they all could put what happened yesterday behind them.

He rose and dressed.  After a few bites of something to eat—which puzzled his mother and sister, for he usually had a healthy appetite like most the men his age—he walked the short distance to Kôran's house.  He stopped in front of the door, suddenly afraid to even let her see him.

_What if she hates me now?_ he thought fearfully.  _What I did yesterday was unforgivable.  I hate myself for it.  She must feel no different about me!_

Nevertheless, he knocked on the door.  Light footsteps were heard through the door, and it opened slowly, hardly making a sound.  It was her.

"H-Hikô!" she nearly stuttered, clearly surprised at his appearance.  A look of fury passed through her eyes, and he braced himself for some kind of attack, but none ever came.  "Hikô, what a surprise," she said dryly.  "Please come in."

He dared another look into her eyes.  No anger shone in them anymore.  Only sadness and a deep regret.  His heart ached at the sight of the one woman he loved feeling such sorrow.  He opened his mouth to—what?  Apologize?  Explain himself?  Throw himself at her feet and beg for forgiveness?  He closed it again when she started speaking first.

"Hikô, I…I've been thinking…about the relationship between you, Hôjun, and me…I—"  She broke off.  She was turned away from him, but he knew she must have been struggling not to cry.  He took a step forward to offer some comfort, but quickly thought better of it and stayed where he was.  She continued, her voice wavering.

"I love Hôjun…more than I could ever love anyone in this world.  You are also very dear to me, but like a brother, not a lover.  I want more than anything for us to…to…love each other like we used to…or used to seem to.  Hôjun and me lovers, and you our dearest friend.  But…but…"  She nearly broke down, obviously loath to say her next sentence.  "I-I can't marry Hôjun anymore.  He deserves much more than an unfaithful little rat such as me."

Hikô was horrified.  _No!  Nonono!  I didn't want you to do that!  I didn't want to tear you two apart!  Oh, Kôran, my love, no…_

He was struck speechless.  All he could do was stare as she continued.

"I can't be around you anymore, either, Hikô.  I'm so sorry, but we can't spend any time near each other.  I just—"

Hikô finally found words to say.  "No!  Kôran, please don't leave Hôjun!  I-I-I never meant to split you two up!  I only wanted you to know how I feel!  I was so stupid to think I could tell you without a hitch.  I'll go as far away as I can if it will make you happy, but please stay with Hôjun!  Do you know what your rejecting him will do to him?"

"I can't.  It hurts to even think about him…"

"It hurts!  I know it hurts!"

"Hikô…"

"You know how I feel!  Please put yesterday behind you!  I never meant to get between you two!  I only—"

Someone knocked on the door.  Both froze and fell absolutely silent.  After a minute, a voice spoke through the door.

"Kôran?  Are you in there?  I need to talk to you."

Hôjun.

Hikô swung his gaze back to her, dismayed by the look of terror he found there.  Being nearer to the door than her, he took hold of it and slowly pulled it open.  An exhausted-looking Hôjun stepped wearily over the threshold.  He saw Hikô, and his expression darkened minutely, but he managed to hide it very well.

"Hikô, Kôran, ohayô gozaimasu," he managed to say, forcing a smile.  Hikô could just imagine all the horrible things Hôjun was thinking about him.

_And I deserve it,_ he silently lamented.

Hôjun started to speak.  "Kôran, I—"

A sob from Kôran stopped him cold.

"Hôjun…go-gomen…_gomen nasai!_"  She buried her face in her hands, turning from both of them and collapsing to the floor in tears.  Hôjun leapt forward to help her, but was halted by her agonized words.  "Gomen nasai, Hôjun.  I…I can't marry you anymore!"

For the second time in barely two days, Hôjun felt as if nothing were holding him up.  A shriek of bitter grief and despair rose unbidden in his throat, but he forced it down, shaking with the effort.  He stumbled, but managed to regain his balance before he fell to the floor.

"Dô shite…dô shite, Kôran?!?!?!" he nearly wailed, his throat threatening to let loose its howl.

"Gomen nasai…I…_I can't be with you anymore!!!!!!!!_" she sobbed into the skirt of her dress, which she was crying into wretchedly.

Hôjun's eyes widened as his mind clicked into place.  Him.  "Hikô…you love Hikô?!?!?!?!"  His voice suddenly had an air of threat to it, something which frightened Kôran to no end.  "Why?!  I trusted you both!"  His gaze whipped around the room, seeking his "best friend."  He had vanished.

He turned back to the weeping girl on the floor.  To the deepest Hell with pride.  He went around her and threw himself at her feet.

"Don't leave me!" he begged pathetically.  "I love you!  I'll follow you to the ends of the world if I have to!  I'd steal anything for you that you ask me to!  I'd kill for you!  I'd die for you!  I'll do anything!  Just please don't leave me!"  He was clawing pitifully at the floor, his entire body quaking with the force of his cries.

"I'm sorry Hôjun," she said, barely above a whisper.  "But I can't—"

"No!" he cried, and he launched himself forward, wound his arms around her, and kissed her with all his heart and soul.  She stiffened, but he only tightened his grip and deepened the kiss, if it was even possible.  After what seemed like an eternity, he finally released her and looked pleadingly into her eyes.

"Don't leave me," he repeated, all the tremor and upset gone.  "I'll forgive everything if you'll only let me stay with you."  He stroked her cheek with his fingertips.  Tears fell down his face, making him look even more decrepit. 

She lowered her head.  _Oh, it's so tempting.  But, I don't deserve his love._  "I'm sorry, Hôjun…but…it just wouldn't work out between us anymore."

Hôjun sucked in his breath through his teeth.  Sudden, terrifyingly intense rage and hatred burned through him, searing every blood vessel and scorching every nerve end.  _That bastard stole her from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

He let go of her and slowly stood.  The tears had stopped, and he made no sound.  Kôran, too, had ceased her crying, staring up at Hôjun, her eyes wide with fear at the fury flashing through his eyes.  He stepped back from her, his eyes unseeing, his entire body beginning to shake.  He turned around, clenching his fists, squeezing his eyes shut.  He finally spoke, his voice rising with every syllable.

"Masaka…masaka…_masaka!!!!!!!!!!!!!_" he screamed.  His ki was screaming to be released, to attack the man who brought his entire soul to ruin.  "_You _do_ love him!  He stole you from me!  That bastard stole you from me!_"  His voice lowered to a near whisper, more threatening than any scream.  "He will pay for this…he will pay dearly for this!"

Kôran cowered on the floor, terrified at the unfamiliar fit of rage that had taken control of her normally calm and gentle Hôjun.  But, as soon as he spoke of exacting payment from Hikô, she leapt up and grabbed hold of him.

"Hôjun!  Please stop!  You're scaring me!"  He kept repeating his promise to make Hikô pay, frightening her even more.  He had seemed to go completely mad.  "Yamete, Hôjun!  Onegai shimasu!  Yamete kudasai!"

He shoved her away from him so he could grip her by her shoulders.  His eyes were wild, and a chilling grin spread over his face as he began to speak, so different from the soft, loving smile he had always given her before.  "Kôran, I swear on my love for you that I'll get you back!  If Hikô is out of the picture, you'll come back to me, ne?  Ne?"

Oh, gods.  Oh, great Suzaku.  He meant to kill Hikô.  She hadn't the chance to answer when he continued in the same mad, love-crazed tone.

"I'll be back, Kôran.  You will be mine again, I swear it!"  And with that, he turned and dashed out of her house toward his own.

Kôran dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself, shivering.  Silent tears made their way slowly down her cheeks.  A monster.  Her cherished Hôjun had turned into a monster.  He was utterly mad.

But, what scared her the most was not his sudden bloodlust, but the look in his eyes as he gazed into hers not one minute ago.  The rage had disappeared when he looked at her.  In its place was love.  Love so deep it had consumed his soul and allowed him to fall prey to—what?  A demon?  His own mind?  What?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He ran toward his house, visions of blood and pain dancing across his mind's eye.  This would be sweet.  This would be very sweet indeed.

He burst in the door, finding an empty house.  He wasted no time in wondering where his family was.  Only one thing occupied his mind.  He strode over to the small chest in the corner and opened it.  Inside were his father's hunting knives.  He slowly and deliberately looked over them all, lovingly fingering some of them, trying to decide which to take his revenge with.  _She _will_ be mine again!_

Finally, he chose one.  It was one of the largest, with a relatively plain handle.  But, the blade was long and wide, with a vicious-looking serrated edge.  He ran his thumb lightly over the sharp edge, and a small bead of blood started to collect in the minute cut.  His father used this one to saw through the thick bones of any large animals he caught in autumn for their winter supply of meat.  _Soon, Hikô.  Soon, your bones will feel this blade slicing through them!_

A hideous grin spread over his face as he imagined warm blood spilling over his hands as he stabbed the knife into his "friend's" heart and lungs.  He could almost feel Hikô's body spasming in his grasp, the throes of death wracking painfully through him.  Choked gasps and screams invaded his ears as he wondered at how satisfying it would be to watch the vile traitor die a slow, agonizing death.  He would enjoy this.  He would enjoy this very much.

He tucked the knife into the folds of his tunic and ran out the door, in search of his victim.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Notes:**  Well, what d'ya think?  I hope I didn't make Hôjun too crazy.  But, I wanted to show how deeply Kôran's rejection of him cut into him.  A trauma that great almost guarantees complete madness, I think.  Anyway, please send any questions, comments, suggestions, and/or constructive criticism to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  As my friends would say, any flames will be read, laughed at, and then deleted.


	7. Revenge

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Seven:  Revenge 

Hôjun ran out of his house, searching for his enemy.  He barely noticed that the sky was quickly darkening, and that the characteristic smell of approaching rain filled the air.  His only thoughts were of vengeance.  That traitorous bastard Hikô would pay dearly for sins committed against those who trusted him most.  Hôjun swore on his very soul that he would take Kôran as his own again.  The filthy traitor he once thought as his friend never deserved her.

_She's mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_ Hôjun mentally screeched to the wind, which was getting stronger by the second.  _He'll never have her!  She belongs to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Tears of hate, anger, and sorrow were coursing down his cheeks again.  His eyes were wild; not an ounce of the gentle young man he had been only yesterday shown in them anymore.  Only madness and a driving need for payback remained.

Lightning split the air, and a second later, a deafening peal of thunder startled him so much that he fell down into the grass of the fields outside of town.  Nobody was outside in the town anymore, much less out here.  Hôjun had been so preoccupied with other matters that he failed to notice the signs of a storm that had been keeping the villagers on their toes since shortly after sunrise.  Nobody was to be seen.

Rain began pouring down all at once, and Hôjun was soaked to the bone in a matter of seconds.  No matter.  He had spotted his prey.  By the willow tree, of all places, staring into the rapidly rising river, still as a marble statue.  He grinned in anticipation and started for the tree.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hikô had run to the willow tree as soon as he had left Kôran's house.  He didn't know why, as he let his feet carry him wherever without interference from his brain.  The air was thickening.  A storm was approaching, and fast.  He didn't care.  He knew that one of the worst places to be in a lightning storm was near a tree.  If that tree was hit, he might very well be killed.  He didn't care about that, either.  All he wanted was to die, anyway.  He had heard Hôjun's wailing inquiry to Kôran, and knew he had broken his best friend far beyond complete repair.  Hell, he may be beyond all repair.

He saw the lightning and heard the thunder, but they barely registered in his grief-clouded mind.  Even when the rain began and drenched him from head to toe, he barely noticed.  Thunder and lightning crashed a few more times, now right above the valley, and he still stood completely motionless, staring into the angry current of the quickly flooding Shôryû River.  Nothing succeeded in bringing him out of his trance, until…

A low, cruel, sadistic chuckle sounded from behind him.  The wind was blowing gale force, but the odd laughing sound managed to reach his ears.  If he hadn't been stalk still already, he would have frozen stiff.  The sound terrified him, and he had to physically force himself to turn around.  What he saw was beyond horrible.

There, barely fifteen feet away from him, stood Hôjun.  The younger boy's hair was plastered to his head, his clothes clung to his body with the rain, his eyes were wide and staring, and his mouth was twisted in an inhuman grin.  He looked dead.  He looked like a demon returned from death to haunt its killer.  Hikô stood there, staring in terror at the monster before him, unable to make himself move.  His breath had become extremely quick and shallow, and his heart felt ready to burst through his ribs, it was pounding so hard.  All desire to die left him immediately.  All he wanted was to get away from this hellish being that stood leering at him.  _If only he could make himself move…_

Hôjun finally spoke, his voice dripping with an unholy desire to kill.  "I've found you," he said, moving slowly closer.  "I've found you.  And you will pay, Hikô.  You will pay."  He kept getting closer, forcing Hikô to back toward the river.  "I will take her back from you, and then, you will die.  And I will dance over your sinning body.  Your blasphemous remains will have no burial, but will be thrown to the river.  I will take special pleasure in the taste of your blood on my fingers."  He laughed again, and reached inside his tunic, pulling out a huge knife.

A sickening feeling swept through Hikô.  He was going to die.  He was going to suffer a long time, he was sure.  As Hôjun neared, the knife upraised, a flash of light caught Hikô's eye.  He pried his eyes off of Hôjun's murderous eyes and drew his gaze lower.  There, under the right pant leg, in the area of the knee, was a bright red glow.

Hikô's heart skipped about three beats.  Suzaku Shichi Seishi .  Everyone knew the legend.  And now, one of the fabled Sacred Warriors of Suzaku was closing in on him, a knife pointed at his chest.  _I'm _never_ going to get away from him!_

He was at the edge of the riverbank.  There was nowhere else to go.  He instinctively turned his head to gauge the chances of falling in, and when he turned back, he nearly screamed to find the gruesome apparition less that a foot from him.  Hôjun raised the knife high above his head.

"Korosu!" he whispered venomously, and plunged the knife toward Hikô's face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"The dam is breaking!  Evacuate the village!"

Kôran heard that cry and nearly died of fear.  The dam holding the mighty Shôryû from overtaking the town in huge rainstorms like this was giving way.  Excessive rain up in the mountains and excessive rain down here was a surefire way to bring about a flood.  Therefore, a large dam had been built to keep the water in check.  Now, that dam was breaking, ready to let loose a wall of water enough to destroy Shôryû.

She ran outside into the panicked mob.  People were running everywhere, grabbing what they could, trying to get everything they could carry before the waters came.  She searched frantically around for any sign of Hôjun or Hikô.  None.  Only glimpses here and there of family members of theirs.  The tears started anew.  Where were they?  Were they all right?

_Oh, Suzaku, keep them safe,_ was her last thought before Uta stuffed some things into her arms and began dragging her in the direction of the highest ground around the rim of the valley not far off.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The knife came straight down toward his face, and he instinctively threw himself to the side to avoid it.  It barely missed him, cutting his right cheek.  Hôjun snarled and lunged, striking toward his neck and chest.  Hikô caught the wrist of the hand holding the knife and managed to keep it still, but the other hand was still free.  It shot up and grabbed the front of Hikô's clothing, nearly ripping the fabric.

"_Give her…give her back to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_" Hôjun roared above the shrieking wind and rain.

"Hôjun…!" Hikô forced himself to say, casting around desperately for words to somehow placate the man who was intent on killing him.

Hot tears were streaming down Hôjun's face, hardly visible through the cold rain that already soaked it.  And, in his eyes, Hikô was shocked to find a desperate plea to be stopped.  His spirit was screaming for Hikô to stop him, to pull him out of this frenzy.

That plea was all Hikô needed to act.  He gathered his strength and shoved Hôjun back, toward the tree.  Seishi or not, Hôjun just wasn't physically as strong as Hikô.  He had not spent the last several years of his life working at the forge as the older boy had.  Hôjun was strong, but not nearly so.

He howled and struggled desperately as Hikô forced him back against the tree, pinning him to it with his wrists to either side of him, held firmly to the trunk by two stronger hands.  He felt the knife wrenched from his hand, and he bucked and writhed madly, shrieking profanities loud enough the gods themselves must have been able to hear.

Through it all, he heard Hikô's pleading voice entreating him to calm down, to please stop before he hurt someone, himself included.  Those words only served to enrage him more.  He suddenly stopped struggling, and looked Hikô straight in the eyes.  His own eyes seemed to blaze crimson, and the red light on his knee flared blindingly bright.

"I'll see you in Hell," he hissed, and shoved Hikô back with all his strength, physical, mental, and spiritual.

Hikô fell back, startled, toward the riverbank.  He tried to stop himself, but it was impossible.  He reached the edge of the river and flailed helplessly for a few seconds before the ground dissolved under his feet and plunged him into the icy water.

Hôjun saw the ground give way under Hikô's feet, and time seemed to freeze.  All the anger and hate melted away in that split second.

_What have I done?!  What have I done?!?!  What have I done?!?!?!_  He lunged forward and grabbed Hikô's wrist before the older boy was even in the water.  He fell face first to the ground, sickening cracking sensations in several parts of his ribcage.  He was sprawled out on the rocky ground, one hand holding onto Hikô, trying to pull him in, but with no success.  As the water tried to pull Hikô downstream, Hôjun's arm was brought crashing down against a rather large and hard chunk of rock sticking out into the water with an audible snap.  He felt faint, the pain and fatigue in his body threatening to overwhelm him.  He tried to pull Hikô up onto the bank again, but his broken arm wouldn't let him.  All he could do was hang on and hope for a miracle.

"Hôjun!" Hikô cried, his voice high-pitched and wavering with terror and pain.  "Tasukete!  Onegai!"

"Hikô!  I've got you!  Just hold on!" Hôjun yelled back, wishing he could believe himself.

Movement to his left caught his attention.  He turned his head, and his heart stopped.  A large, jagged log was headed right for him.  He couldn't move, even if he had had the time.  All he could do was squeeze his eyes shut and clutch onto Hikô's hand as hard as he could.

An unearthly scream ripped through the air.  The wooden spikes drove deep into his flesh, gouging out his eye and taking away the gods knew what else.  Blood sprayed like water in the emperor's fountains.  He instinctively brought his hands up to his face, attempting to shield it from further harm.  Blood gushed from the wound, despite both hands trying to keep the blood from leaving his body.

Then, he remembered.  Hikô.  Hikô was gone.  He looked up with his uninjured eye and frantically scanned the area.  No sign of anyone but himself.  He…he had let go…he had let Hikô go!

He felt exceedingly tired.  He lacked even the strength to whimper his grief.  His last thought before he collapsed limply to the saturated ground was, _Hikô…Kôran…goodbye_.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:  **Well, that part's done.  How was it?  I'm very tired right now, and I don't have much to say this time except to send anything you have to say about the story to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	8. Decisions

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Eight:  Decisions 

Hikô awoke in darkness.  At first, he thought he had not opened his eyes yet, but he soon found that they were as open as anybody's eyes were.  He looked around, hoping to see something other than black, but nothing was in sight.  He was lying on a smooth, marble-hard floor as black as the air around him.  Something was not right.

He looked down at himself as he sat up.  He was naked.  His hair was loose and floated oddly in place whenever he turned his head, taking longer to change position.  It moved like it would underwater.  He could breathe fine, though, and he didn't feel like he was in water.

Water.

He suddenly remembered.  He had kissed Kôran…Hôjun had seen…Kôran had rejected her devoted fiancé…it started to rain…a wild-looking Hôjun had tried to kill him…he had fallen to the hungry river…Hôjun had grabbed him, tried to pull him up…and then…and then…

He had let go.  Hikô had drowned in the frigid river, horribly weakened by the thrashing waters.  It had hurt.  It had hurt him more than any injury he had gotten before.

Tears threatened.  Hôjun hadn't lost his grip.  He had purposely let go.  Hikô was sure of it.  _Hôjun, why…why did you do it?!_

He was dead now.  Only a spirit.  It explained his nudity, but where was he?  This was nothing like what he expected.  He had always expected either Heaven or Hell once he died, not some black void.  _Maybe this _is_ Hell_, he thought sullenly.  _Maybe I'm being punished with eternal solitude._

He heard a low chuckle behind him.  He whirled around and saw a being such like he had never thought he would see in his life.  The man was tall, with silver-white hair trailing down to the floor.  His robes were the blackest black, nearly disappearing in the darkness that surrounded them both.  His skin was nearly white, and the orangey-yellow eyes glowed faintly.  This ghost-like being frightened him, and he felt a fierce desire to run away.  But, all he could do was stand and face the being, feeling oddly like something beside himself was controlling his body.

"Da…dare da?!" he managed to squeak out, his fear growing by the minute.

"You need not know that for now," the man said, his deep voice seeming to penetrate Hikô's very soul.  "We must address the matter at hand."

_What matter?_ Hikô thought, starting to feel hysterical.  "N-nani?" was all he could say.

"He betrayed you," the man replied.  "He acted as your friend, and in the end, he betrayed and murdered you."

"N-no," the frightened boy gasped.  "He…he didn't murder me!"

"He let you go."

"An…an accident.  It was an accident!  It must've been!"

"It was no accident.  He wanted to kill you.  You know that better than I."

"No!"  The tears spilled over.  "Hôjun…he couldn't have!  He's my best friend!"

"_Was_ your best friend," the man corrected.  "He murdered you, Hikô.  He murdered you, and he enjoyed it.  He is your friend no longer."

"No…"  Hikô dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands.  "Hôjun…"  The mental attack was quickly breaking through his defenses.

"You loved her, didn't you?  You loved her, and your friend got jealous."

"They…they belong together!  I never should have interfered!"

"Really?  Your friend never deserved her.  Someone who kills out of jealousy never deserves love."

"No…no…"

"She should have been yours."

"Demo—"

"You love her, don't you?"

"Y-yes."

"Then why stand by and let someone else have something you desire that they themselves never should have received?"

"Demo, Kôran loves Hôjun as much as he loves her.  She…she said she never loved me that way."

"Never mind that.  I can help you.  I can make it possible for you to take revenge on your murderer, and for you to make her yours forever."

"De-demo, Hôjun's my best friend!  And Kôran—"  He choked.  "She doesn't love me like that!"

"Hôjun is not your friend.  I already told you that.  As for Kôran…"  The man smiled in such a way that made every hair on Hikô's body stand on end.  "You can make her love you.  You can make her love you more than she ever loved Hôjun."

Hikô opened his mouth to reply, but stopped.  Kôran loving him was something he wanted more than anything else in existence.  Something in the back of his mind told him to fight back against the manipulation, but he ignored it.  He looked up at the man.

"Really?" he asked in a small voice.  The man smiled.

"Of course.  And I can help you take revenge on the man who killed you.  He is the only thing that stands between you and Kôran.  You can eliminate him.  You can have your revenge."

"Revenge…" the youth murmured quietly.  "I can take her from him.  What do I have to do?"  He had a new fire burning in his eyes.

"You must pledge yourself to me.  Serve me, and I will make everything I promised a reality.  All it will take is a few years of training and a well-timed strike."

That something in the back of his mind was screaming at him to refuse, but he quickly smothered it out.

"Well?  What is your answer?  Will you join me or not?"

The aqua-haired young man grinned.  "Yes."

The tall man lifted a hand and held it before him, his palm facing Hikô.  "You will call me Tenkô-sama."

Hikô didn't have the chance to reply before he tumbled into unconsciousness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hôjun was lying on his back on the ground.  He was warm, and it felt like some kind of light blanket had been draped over him.  He could feel the sun filtering through something, like he was in a tent or a tarp was suspended above him.  He moaned and turned his head to the side…

Pain exploded in and around his eye as the left side of his face hit the ground.  He cried out sharply and tried to raise his hands to his face.  Only his right arm would move, though.  Memories were rushing back.  The rain…attacking Hikô…the log racing toward him…

Panicking, he tried to open his eyes, finding with dismay that only the right would open.

A shape bent over him, touching his cheek, trying to calm him down.

"Shhhhhhhh.  Don't jerk around so much, Hôjun-kun.  You'll hurt yourself even more."

The soft, sweet lilt registered in his ears.  "Kôran!"

"Hai," she replied.  "I'm here."

"What…what happened?!  Where are we?!"

She flinched slightly.  "We are in a tent on a hill outside of Shôryû," she said softly.  Pain was taking over her beautiful visage.

"Nani?" he said, confused.  He tried to sit up, but she gently pushed him back down.

"You have been out for nearly a week, Hôjun," she said, looking away from him.  "You drifted between conscious and unconscious off and on the whole time.  I was wondering if you would ever fully wake up."

"Where…where is everyone?" he asked, a feeling of dread seeping through him.

"The…the dam broke," she whispered, trying not to choke on her emotion.  "Our town was destroyed.  Nothing is left.  Only a waterlogged valley and the ruins of some of the buildings."

He couldn't speak.  It couldn't be!  It just couldn't!

"Everyone who survived is on this hill in tents that someone had the sense to grab," Kôran continued.  "We don't have enough, so some of the stronger men have fashioned tree branch shelters and are staying in those.  It hasn't rained since the flood, anyway.  We are all trying to figure a way to rebuild."  Her face twisted in pain.  "We are not many.  Only a handful of us survived the flood.  I wouldn't be here if I hadn't been washed near land and someone hadn't caught my hand and dragged me out.  Two men looking for survivors found you by the riverside and brought you back here.  You have a broken arm, four broken ribs, and your left eye is gone.  I've managed to bandage you up as best I can."  She looked directly at him, a forlorn look in her eyes.  "I am the only survivor in my family.  And, Hôjun, I'm sorry, but Hanabira is the only one besides you to survive in your family."

Hôjun stared at her in shock.  Kâsan…Tôsan…Niisan…all dead?!  How?  How could that happen?!  She continued brokenly.

"Hikô is not here either.  He must be dead, too."  She turned away and wrapped her arms around her knees, crying softly.  "I am thankful I still have you.  D-demo…we…"

"Kôran," he interrupted her.  He didn't want to say what he knew he must say next.  "I killed him."

She stopped crying and turned slowly back to him.  He was sitting up and looking at her with an expression that held unlimited sorrow.  "Nani?" she asked, disbelieving.

"I killed him," he repeated.  "I was furious with him for stealing you.  I tried to stab him, but he knocked the knife away.  I shoved him into the river, then.  He cried for my help.  I…I tried to save him…but I let go.  I let go and let him drown."  He lowered his head.  "I killed him…I killed him…"

She stared at him, refusing to believe that this man before her had killed their best friend.  Ri Hôjun was no murderer!  He couldn't be!  She longed to embrace him, comfort him, assure him that everything was going to be all right, but she didn't have the right to hold him like that anymore.  Instead, she reached out and gingerly touched the large bandage sweeping across the left side of his face, careful not to hurt the horrendous wound underneath.  "Hôjun…how did you get this?"

He looked up, not expecting that question to be next.  "I was holding onto Hikô's hand, and a log came by and hit me in the face," he answered truthfully.

"And you let go of Hikô, then?" she pushed on.

"H-hai," he answered, not knowing where this conversation was going.

"Then, it was an accident.  You could never have held on to Hikô.  Your letting go was just a reflex.  Nothing could have changed that."

Part of him wanted desperately to believe her, but the other part of him knew better.  Not pushing him into the river would have made all the difference.  He was still at fault.  "No, Kôran.  It's my fault.  It's all my fault.  If I hadn't pushed him into the river in the first place…"  He averted his eye.  "I let the man you love drown," he whispered, barely audible.

Kôran was stunned.  He thought she loved Hikô?!  No!  She loved Hôjun!  She never loved Hikô!  "Hôjun, I love _you_!"

He looked up at her, his eye unbelieving.  "Demo…I saw you two kissing!  Soshite…you…you rejected me…you wouldn't marry me.  I…I…"

She stopped him, her voice pained.  "Hôjun, I rejected you, because I don't deserve you anymore.  I betrayed you.  I thought you hated me for it.  And even if you don't hate me, I still don't deserve your love."  She turned away again, tears sliding down her perfectly formed cheeks.

He sat there staring at her quivering shoulders.  She had it backwards!  Despite his injuries, he gripped her shoulder, turned her around, and held her tightly to him, ignoring the pain in his ribs as he pressed her to his chest.

"Kôran, no!" he half sobbed.  "If anyone is not deserving of the other's love, it is I!  I betrayed you both!  You have done nothing wrong, and now Hikô is dead for no reason!  All because of me!  I don't care what you say…I still hold myself at fault!  I can only beg for your forgiveness!"

She was motionless.  He still loved her!  It was all a huge mistake!  She didn't feel any more worthy of his love, though.  He continued, tears flowing down the right side of his face.

"I understand if you don't want me anymore…demo…I'm begging you to let me stay with you!  Please don't leave me alone like this!  I…I need someone to love me, to keep me sane!  Otherwise—"  He stopped, unwilling to say what might happen if she left him alone.  Suicide, insanity…perhaps something even worse.

She looked up, hope dawning in her eyes.  However, she seemed reluctant to believe he still wanted her.  "Hôjun, I—"

He silenced her with a kiss.  He poured all his love and passion for her into that simple touch, showing her exactly how much he desired her.  He released her after an endless moment, and gazed lovingly into her eyes.  "Kôran," he whispered, "marry me."

She couldn't speak.  All she could do was wind her arms around him and hold him gently, mindful of his injuries.

Relief flooded through him as he rightly interpreted her actions.  She would still marry him!  He would have at least one solace in this suddenly cruel world.

As she felt him drifting off to sleep, she slowly lowered him back down to the makeshift bed, lay down beside him, wrapped her arms lightly around his waist, and had the first good sleep since more than a week ago.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  HA!!!!!!!!  I didn't make Kôran die in my story!  _That's_ my glaring difference I said I'd have in here way back in the first chapter's Author's Notes!  After all, it's a semi-alternate universe, so I had to have _something_ different!  Who's glad I decided to give my Chichiri-chan a break in his otherwise tragic life?  I certainly am! ^_^  Excuse me if I sound a little hyper.  I took my SAT yesterday morning, and I still haven't shaken all the anxiety I experienced.  Anyway, send anything you have to say to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	9. Summoning

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Nine:  Summoning 

Kôran awoke reluctantly.  She didn't want to leave the warm circle of Hôjun's arms.  She opened one eye and looked balefully at the beam of sunlight that fell near their bed.

_Morning already?_ she thought.  She sighed mentally.  _Might as well get up._

Hôjun groaned slightly, just coming out of sleep himself.  It had been a month since the flood, and Shôryû was slowly but surely being rebuilt.  Only about seventy-five people had survived, and it was turning out to be a very small town indeed.  _Better than no town, I guess_, Kôran told herself.  She and Hôjun had been married the day before.  It had been a beautiful day, and Hanabira had insisted they make it their wedding day.  Hôjun's energetic imôto had taken the liberty of asking the town leader, one of those to survive, to perform the ceremony before she had even brought the subject up to Hôjun and Kôran.  Kôran smiled.  _I'm glad she did._

She looked down at the man who had made love to her for the first time last night.  As bad as his wounds had been, they were healed almost completely, and it was like they weren't even there anymore.  His broken bones were mended to the point of no longer needing to mind them every move he made, and his face no longer needed to be bandaged.  There was still a large red mark where his eye used to be, and there would be a permanent scar for sure.  Nevertheless, Hôjun was almost as good as new.  But, how could that be?  It was usually about six weeks until a cast can be removed, and two months until the bones are completely knitted.  There was something odd about her husband, but she didn't know what.  Nobody knew what.

"Mmm…Kôran, no da?"  Hôjun was awake, but he was still a bit dazed from sleep.

"Ohayô, Koibito," Kôran replied, leaning down to kiss him.  "Sleep well?"

He grinned up at her.  "Very well, no da."  He stroked her cheek.  "Finally, no da.  Finally, I can call you my wife, no da."

They spent the next few minutes just gazing lovingly at each other before they got up and dressed.  It was fixing to be a warm day, so Hôjun wore only his shirt and pants, opting not to wear his tunic over it, lest he overheat himself helping with rebuilding the town.  His father had been a carpenter, and he had learned the tricks of the trade early on, so his skills were especially needed at a time like this.  They finished dressing and went outside.

"Aniki!!!!!!!!!!!"  Hanabira came out of nowhere and launched herself into Hôjun's arms.  It was all he could do not to fall over.  "You're finally married, Aniki!  Omedetô gozaimasu!"

"A-a-arigatô, no da," Hôjun replied, trying to pry the ten-year-old's arms from his waist.  She was making it hard to breathe.  _By the gods, this girl is the most excitable person I've ever known in my life, no da.  She'll be a chore for whoever marries her later on, no da._

The day started out normal, or as normal as it could only a month after a flood as devastating as what had hit the valley.  The general mood of everyone was better than it had been immediately after the disaster, but there was still a bit of gloom that had settled on their spirits.

Kôran had noticed something that had changed about Hôjun, and she knew some of the townspeople had as well, including Hanabira.  He kept saying "no da" at the end of nearly all his sentences.  "No da" was a nonsense word, and the way Hôjun said it indicated he was in an abnormally good mood.  It was as if Hôjun was trying to hide immense grief from everyone, including himself.  After a few weeks, the townspeople had gotten used to it, for Hôjun had been known for a long time as someone who occasionally had quirks just pop up out of nowhere.  Sometimes those quirks went away, and sometimes they didn't.  Kôran was deeply disturbed by it, as was Hanabira to a lesser degree.  Something told her that this particular quirk wasn't harmless like the others thought.

_He holds himself responsible for Hikô's death_, she thought, _no matter how much I try to convince him otherwise.  And, he hates himself for it._  Hôjun's self-loathing frightened her.  It wasn't healthy to hate yourself, and that hate can make you do terrible things.

She had confronted him about three days ago about the "no da," when they had finished the day's work and were watching the sunset together from the top of a small hill outside the growing town.  His reaction had been nothing like what she had expected.  His eye had widened, his hands had curled into fists, and he had started to tremble.  She had put a hand on his shoulder and was going to ask him what was wrong, when he jumped up and moved a few paces away, his whole body ridged.  Everything about him said, "Don't touch me."

Kôran knew something was wrong, now.  "Hôjun, what—"

"Don't!" he had interrupted, his tone hostile.  "Don't bring it up again.  Don't you _ever_ bring it up _again_!!!!!!!!!"  With that, he ran back down to the town, leaving Kôran in shock.  He had _never_ spoken to her like that!  And certainly never over something like a speech anomaly!

Later, when she had the courage to face him again, she returned to the village and entered the small house they were living in and found Hôjun sitting in the dark on the floor with his head in his hands.  He looked up at the sound of her footsteps entering the room.

"K-Kôran!" he had stammered.  He had stood up and pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face into her hair.  "S-sumimasen, Kôran.  I never meant to snap at you like that.  But, I…but, I…"

Her heart squeezed when she realized he was crying, but said nothing as he cleared his throat and continued, his voice shaky.

"Please, don't speak of that again.  It's just too painful."  His arms tightened further.  "Gomen nasai, Kôran."

She had silently promised herself and him that she would never bring it up again.  Hôjun was just too sensitive to speak of such things.

Now, however, they were both going about their business, doing their part to get the town back on its feet.  That didn't last long, though.

Hôjun suddenly jerked his head up and looked toward the woods to the west, toward the hot springs.  He seemed to be straining to listen to something just out of hearing range.  Kôran saw it and went over to him.  A few others were around him, asking him what was wrong, but nobody seemed to get through to him.

"Hôjun, daijôbu?" Kôran asked, laying a hand on his arm.

"Something is calling me, no da," he replied, unmoving.  "I have to go, no da."

"I'm going with you!" Kôran said, feeling that something was about to happen that would separate them.

"Kôran, no," he said, looking down at her.  "It might be dangerous, no da.  I don't want you hurt, no da."

"I don't want _you_ hurt and alone in the forest, either," she retorted.  "I'm going with you."

He opened his mouth to refuse her again, but the look in her eyes told him that she wouldn't back down.  "All right, come on, no da."  He took hold of her hand, and they went off toward the hot springs.

The forest was oddly quiet, as if the animals and the birds were hiding from something.  The stepped carefully, making sure not to disturb whatever was causing the sudden absence of noise.  It wasn't long until they came across something that didn't seem to belong in the woods at all.

There, in a little clearing not far from the hot springs, stood a little girl, her sea-green hair done up in odango with braids hanging down from the centers.  The way she was dressed indicated wealth, but why would the daughter of some wealthy couple be out here all alone in the middle of the forest?  She was staring right at them, her eyes seemingly much older than her body.  This was no ordinary little girl.

"O…ohayô, little girl, no da," Hôjun ventured.  "What's your name, no da?"

"My name Nyan-Nyan!" the girl replied, smiling sweetly.  _Odd name_, Hôjun and Kôran thought at the same time.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" Kôran asked.  "Where are your parents?"

"Nyan-Nyan have no otôsama!" Nyan-Nyan replied.  "But, Nyan-Nyan's okâsama wants to see Chichiri-sama!"

_Chichiri-sama, no da?  Isn't he one of the Suzaku Seishi, no da?_  "You were calling me, right, no da?" Hôjun asked.  Nyan-Nyan nodded.  "But, I'm not Chichiri-sama, no da.  I'm Ri Hô—"

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a flash of pink light as Nyan-Nyan turned into a bubble, surrounded them both, and transported them to the most beautiful mountain landscape either of them had ever seen.  They gasped as one.

"S-Suzaku, no da!" Hôjun breathed.  "What is this place, no da?"

The bubble had set them down on the ground and popped back into Nyan-Nyan.  She replied, "This Daikyoku-zan, of course!"

"Daikyoku-zan!" Kôran gasped.  "Isn't that where—"

Before they knew what was happening, they were surrounded by what seemed like dozens of little girls that looked and sounded exactly like Nyan-Nyan.

"These Nyan-Nyan's sisters!" Nyan-Nyan said cheerfully.  "These other Nyan-Nyans!"

The confused couple had no time to reply before the mob of super-kawaii little girls surged forward and started feeling the fabric of their clothing, chattering among themselves.  They were surrounded on all sides, so there was nowhere to run.

"Chichiri-sama!  Chichiri-sama!" they kept hearing here and there among the dozens of identical voices.

"All right!  That's enough!" an old gravely voice sounded behind them, and the Nyan-Nyans dropped back, still chattering.  Kôran was first to turn around, and…

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she shrieked, grabbing onto Hôjun and tackling him to the ground, scattering the Nyan-Nyans.  She was clutching onto her husband like her life depended on it, and Hôjun was just about to demand what the hell had her scared so much, when he himself saw the newcomer.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  SUNAKAKE BABA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  He jumped up, taking Kôran with him, and backed up as fast as he could without falling back down until his back hit a tree.  Kôran was still stuck tight to him, and he stared in shock and horror at the sight that was before him.

"That Nyan-Nyans' okâsama!" several Nyan-Nyans chorused at once.  "That Taiitsukun!"

"T-Ta-Taiitsukun, no da?!?!?!" Hôjun stammered, recognizing the Creator's name.  "Taiitsukun's a hideous old woman, no da?!?!?!"

There was a loud _thwack_, and Hôjun was facedown on the ground, a large goose egg growing on the back of his head.  "Is that any way to talk to your hostess?!?!" Taiitsukun demanded, tossing away the biggest mallet Kôran had ever seen.  "I had Nyan-Nyan bring you here for another reason than to insult me!"  Hôjun just lay there.  Taiitsukun sighed.  "Nyan-Nyan, fix Chichiri-sama."

Three of the little girls rushed forward and put their hands on Hôjun's suffering head, still chattering about everything and nothing.  When they went back to the main group of girls again, Hôjun slowly pulled himself up.

"Why is everyone calling me 'Chichiri-sama,' no da?" he inquired.  "I'm no Seishi, no da.  I'm Ri Hôjun of the town of Shôryû, no da."

"Stand up," Taiitsukun told him, and he readily obeyed, not wanting to anger the Creator again.  The old woman muttered a single word and pointed straight at his right knee.  He felt a surge of energy and warmth, and looked down.  There was a red glow emanating from his knee, bright and unmistakable.  His eye widened, and he bent down and pulled his pant leg up, revealing the symbol for "water well" shining brightly on his skin.

"Na-nani kore, no da?" he murmured, stunned.  So, he _was_ Chichiri!  He never knew!

A little while later, he and Kôran were sitting on the floor of a large receiving room, facing Taiitsukun.  The Creator was looking him straight in the eye, and he was having difficulty meeting her gaze.  It really wasn't the prettiest face to look upon.

"I summoned you here, because you, out of all the Suzaku Shichi Seishi, have the talent that is the most complex to master.  It will take more than the local expert to teach you.  Therefore, I will be your teacher.  You must stay here and train for at least three years.  Your wife may stay, as well, for you wouldn't be very happy without her, and therefore wouldn't take well to the training."

"Th-three years, no da?!" Hôjun repeated.  "But, they need me back in Shôryû, no da!  I'm the only one who really knows about carpentry, and—"

"That's taken care of," Taiitsukun assured him.  "The Nyan-Nyans' first job is to fix things, but they are also good for building things."

Hôjun wasn't sure if he wanted to know if the townspeople could handle the little girls for as long as it took to build a town, however small it was going to be.  Hanabira would probably go nuts over them and want to keep one as a pet.

"Nyan-Nyan!" Taiitsukun called off to the side.  Two of the little girls came out of a side door and bounded over to the three on the floor.  "Take Chichiri-sama and Kôran-san to their room.  They ought to rest up a bit after being brought here on such short notice."

Giggling, they took Hôjun and Kôran's hands and led them through the halls.  Hôjun didn't know what Kôran was thinking, but all that was going through his mind was, _What the _hell_ am I getting myself into, no da?!?!_

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Well, that's done.  I really have nothing to say here, except that hope I made the reason Taiitsukun had for bringing Hôjun and Kôran to Daikyoku-zan sound plausible.  Is it?  Please send any comments to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	10. Firstborn

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Ten:  Firstborn 

It had been six months since they had first arrived at Daikyoku-zan.  Hôjun had finally come to be close to normal again.  His long silences staring into space that had occurred quite often immediately after the flood were disappearing.  He smiled like he used to, albeit without his previous happy-go-lucky nature.  His innocence had been lost that terrible rainy day, and he could never again act as if he hadn't a care in the world.  Even if the flood had never happened, his destiny as a Seishi would have forced him to grow up just as the disaster did.  Nevertheless, he was making a valiant effort to put it behind him, despite his guilt over Hikô's death.

Hôjun spent most of his time training.  He was gone for hours at a time in the gardens of Daikyoku-zan learning how to focus his powers.  That skill came first, for without being able to focus magic, you cannot cast any sort of spells with it.  The training sessions were hard, to say the least.  Magic was, as Taiitsukun had explained, a very difficult and complex skill to learn.  The three years he was to stay at Daikyoku-zan were for him to master the essentials, with some of the more advanced teachings near the end.  He was to come back every once in a while to train more in the advanced teachings.  Every once in a while entailed at least twice a year for a month at a time.  Both he and Kôran were relieved that she could accompany him, for they didn't want to be separated for too long.  Taiitsukun had warned them that, when Suzaku no Miko comes, they would most certainly be separated much more than a month.  Neither of them was looking forward to it.

Lately, though, Kôran had been noticing some changes in her body.  She felt a bit heavier than before, and her breasts seemed to be growing tender.  Her monthly cycle had not occurred for three months either.  She had also been feeling ill in the mornings, but that ill feeling usually faded by midday.  She had her suspicions, but dare she believe them?

She had been looking for a Nyan-Nyan that was not busy with something to see if it could help her out.  They seemed to know everything there was to know about medical stuff, so they ought to know something about this, right?  Besides, she didn't want to bother Taiitsukun or Hôjun about anything right now.  Hôjun was currently deep in meditation in the southern garden with Taiitsukun monitoring him.

She finally found one counting stones in a garden pathway, and it immediately grabbed her by the hand and led her back to her and Hôjun's room.  It made her lay down on the bed, and to her dismay, stripped all her clothes off save her undergarments.  It poked and prodded all over her, mostly focusing on her torso.  As it explored, the Nyan-Nyan's eyes started to sparkle with an odd light.  It looked much like a child excited over a new discovery.  Suddenly, it stopped poking and looked her straight in the eye, a big grin on its face.

"Little Chichiri-sama!" it chirped.

"Nani?" Kôran asked, a bit confused by its choice of words.

"Kôran-san is Chichiri-sama's wife, yes?"

"Hai, I am."

The Nyan-Nyan pointed at her midsection.  "Chichiri-sama put little Chichiri-sama in wife!"  It seemed genuinely excited.

Kôran's eyes widened.  She had thought of this as a very real possibility, but for it to actually be confirmed was something else altogether.  A joyful smile was working its way across her face.  "Hontô ni?"

"Hai!" the Nyan-Nyan squeaked, and jumped into her arms, giving her a big hug.  There had never been a baby at Daikyoku-zan, so this was an extra special event.

Kôran was overjoyed.  She had always wanted to give him children, and now, it was actually going to happen!

The door opened, and in walked Hôjun.  He looked a little ragged, and he was a bit sweaty from concentration.  He wore only his pants, his shoes and his shirt in his hand.  He dropped them onto a chair, crossed over to the bed, sat down behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her from behind.  He laid his head on her shoulder and sighed.  He need not say to her that he was exhausted from the past lesson and needed a few minutes to just sit and hold her.  Kôran set the Nyan-Nyan on the floor and motioned for it to go.  It looked disappointed, but left, for Taiitsukun had given the Nyan-Nyans strict orders to leave both Hôjun and Kôran alone if they were told.

"Kôran, no da?" Hôjun said, his head still on her shoulder.  "Why was there a Nyan-Nyan in here, no da?"  Neither of them ever let any Nyan-Nyans in their room unless for a specific reason.  The hyperactive little girls were too annoying to tolerate otherwise.  "Are you feeling all right, no da?"

She turned around in his arms and embraced him, a warm smile on her face.  "Hai, Hôjun.  I'm feeling just fine."

"Then, why the Nyan-Nyan, no da?"  He looked into her face, curiosity in his eye.

She grinned at him.  "Have I ever told you how much I wanted children?"

Realization started to dawn.  "Are you saying—"

He was interrupted by her kiss.  When they broke apart, she touched his cheek lovingly.  "Hai, Hôjun.  I'm carrying your child."

The look in his eye was both surprised and joyful.  He gently laid a hand against her abdomen.  "Are you serious, no da?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Would I lie about something like this?" she answered, burrowing deeper into his arms.

He embraced her tightly, not saying a word, simply enjoying the moment and turning the newfound discovery over in his head, still hardly believing it was true.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Four more months had passed.  Kôran was now rather heavy with child, and was starting to have to keep from exerting herself much.

Now, Hôjun was walking to a village near Daikyoku-zan to get some red fabric.  Kôran wanted to make some baby clothes, and there wasn't any red fabric at Daikyoku-zan.  The Nyan-Nyans had used it all up for one thing or another, and they had yet to get some more.  A Nyan-Nyan or two would be going to the village instead of Hôjun, but he had the day off from training and volunteered to go.  He had not left Daikyoku-zan since being brought there ten months ago, and he was eager to get out for a while.  He never liked being holed up in one place for too long.  He wished Kôran could have come along, for it was a beautiful winter day, but she shouldn't be taking long walks in the cold weather in the state she was in.  When he had left, she had just been laying down for a short nap.

As he neared the town, a feeling of apprehension started growing within him.  This was his first time outside of Daikyoku-zan in ten months, and he was going to a strange town were he didn't know anybody and nobody knew him.  How would they react when the saw his face?  The scar had faded, and was no longer such an angry red, but it was still quite prominent.  People, in his experience, didn't take well to people who looked strange, and a large red mark where his left eye should be was rather on the strange side.

The closer he got to the town, the more and more nervous he got.  Would they be repulsed?  Frightened?  Hostile?  Would he be able to get the fabric he was going for, or would the completely shun him?

Those questions and more kept running through his head until he found himself on the edge of town.  He stopped, looked around to see if anybody was staring at him, then went forward when he found no one was.  He was a little ways into the town when he came across some children playing at the roadside.  They looked up as his shadow passed over to him, took one look at his face, and screamed.  They jumped up and ran away, still screaming.  Hôjun had frozen in place.  The children's cries had alerted everyone else in the street, who were now all looking right at him.  Everyone had a look of either shock or disgust, then they all turned back to what they were doing, only this time, whispering amongst themselves.

Hôjun had no choice but to keep walking.  The whispers followed him everywhere as he searched for a cloth seller.  He dared not ask anyone, for he didn't have the courage with them all whispering about him like they were.  He couldn't quite catch what they were saying, but he understood a few words and phrases here and there.  Some people spoke words of pity, but most spoke words of disgust and horror, and all the children he came across quickly ran away.  Tears of embarrassment and shame stung his eye, but he refused to let them fall.

He finally found a shop that sold cloth, and went inside.  Thankfully, he was the only one in there at the moment, but the shopkeeper saw him and quickly averted his eyes.  Hôjun was able to get the cloth and pay without any problem, but the shopkeeper would not look him in the face.  He didn't speak at all to Hôjun either, just gave him the cloth he asked for, took his money, and gave him change without a word.

Hôjun exited the shop and made a beeline for the nearest town exit that pointed toward Daikyoku-zan.  He walked steady for a while, but as soon as a bend in the path put a large clump of trees between him and the town, he broke into a run, hot tears flowing down his face.  Ever since coming to Daikyoku-zan, he had never felt to ashamed, so rejected.

He did not stop until he got to the foot of Daikyoku-zan.  When he finally stopped and stared up at the mountain, he suddenly realized how worn out and exhausted he was from running.  He dropped to his knees, breathing hard, and it wasn't more than a minute before weariness overtook him and he sank into unconsciousness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He awoke feeling warm.  A soft hand was stroking his face, and he was about to open his eye when he remembered what had happened.  He sat up suddenly, earning a squeak of surprise from Kôran, who was sitting on the bed next to him.  He put a hand to his forehead and felt a thin layer of sweat that had broken out on his skin in the last few seconds.  His breathing was labored, and his heartbeat was rapid.

"Hôjun?" Kôran asked tentatively.  "Daijôbu ka?"

"I-iie, no da," he answered shakily.  "How did I get up here, no da?"

"Taiitsukun saw you lying unconscious at the foot of the mountain in one of her mirrors," his wife answered.  "She sent a few Nyan-Nyans to get you and bring you here.  What in the world happened to you, Love?"

"I-I-I went into the town a few miles from here to get the fabric you wanted, no da," he started, and he felt a bit of relief when he saw said fabric in a bundle on the floor, apparently undamaged.  "Some kids saw me…they ran away screaming, and _everybody_ saw me, no da.  They…they were whispering about me all after that, and…and they were horrified, disgusted…they didn't want me there, no da!"  Tears were falling again.  He reached out to Kôran and pulled her into an embrace, mindful of her growing belly.  He cried softly against her shoulder as she stroked his back and shoulders, whispering assurances to him.

After several minutes, his tears tapered down, and she slowly extracted herself from his arms.  She gently kissed his moist cheek and smoothed back his fringe of bangs, now longer than he usually let it grow.

"I have an idea," she said.  "Wait in here."  She walked out of the room and closed the door.  She had learned not too long ago the most efficient way to find Nyan-Nyans.  "Nyan-Nyan!" she called to no one in particular, and within ten seconds, she had a dozen little green-haired sprites at her knees.  She knelt down in the midst of them.  "You all like to fix things," she said.  "Can any of you help fix Chichiri-sama's problem with people seeing his scar?"

The Nyan-Nyans thought a minute.  "Heal face?" one asked, but Kôran knew that would never happen.  She had once asked him about it, and he had vehemently refused to.  As he had put it, he needed to keep the scar to remind himself of his sin against Hikô.  The Nyan-Nyans thought a little more.

"Nyan-Nyan knows!" one piped up.  Kôran and all the other Nyan-Nyans looked at the one that spoke.  The little being cupped its hands together, and a soft pink glow shone in them.  When the glow faded, in its hands lay a thin, curved object.  The Nyan-Nyan gave it to Kôran.  The young woman looked at it and giggled.

It was a mask.  The eyes were squinty, and the mouth was set in an impish little grin.  It reminded her so much of a fox.  She wondered if Hôjun would take kindly to being called "Kitsune-san."

"Arigatô, Nyan-Nyan," she said, and they all surged forward and caught her in a group hug, almost squeezing the breath out of her.  They let go after a minute and dispersed to different parts of Daikyoku-zan.  Kôran heaved herself off the floor and reentered the room to give Hôjun the fox-faced mask.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Two more months had passed.  The child was due to be born any day now.  There was constantly at least one Nyan-Nyan in their room, keeping an eye on Kôran and helping her when she needed it, but she tried to need its help as little as possible.

Hôjun was now sitting in a solarium not too far from their room, hearing a lecture from Taiitsukun about how to establish mental contact with someone.  He kept at complete attention, for Taiitsukun was not one who liked to repeat things, and she got a little annoyed if who she was talking to was not listening to her.  And, as Hôjun found out the hard way, Taiitsukun tended to express her annoyance with bodily harm.  If she was really annoyed, she just might sic the Nyan-Nyans on you, and that in itself was enough to make anybody pay attention to her.

As he sunk down into a meditative trance as she instructed him, he got the distinct feeling that something was about to happen.  His suspicions were confirmed when he was jerked back to full alertness by a screech coming from the direction of his and Kôran's room.

He jumped up and streaked out of the room, not even waiting for permission to leave.  He got to their doors in no time, and flung them open.  Kôran was on her hands and knees in the middle of the room, one arm wrapped around her midsection, breathing hard.  Her skin was covered in sweat, and her hair stuck to her forehead.  The skirt of her dress looked like someone had thrown a vase full of water on it, and the floor under her was wet.  Her water had broken.  A Nyan-Nyan stood before her, dabbing at her face with a moist cloth, a look of genuine concern on its face.  Kôran looked up as Hôjun entered.

"Hôjun," she rasped, her voice shaky.  "The baby…"

He immediately rushed over to her, picked her up, laid her down on the bed as gently as he could, stripped her dress off, and hollered for the Nyan-Nyans.  He felt something damp pressed into his hand, and he looked down and saw the Nyan-Nyan already there handing him the cloth it had been mopping her face with, as well as a small bowl of water.  He thanked the Nyan-Nyan and dipped the cloth in the water.  Her face was sweaty and pained, but it seemed to calm a little when she felt his soft touch.  Hôjun finally noticed that Taiitsukun was floating in the air behind him.

"Keep doing that," she said, indicating the cloth in Hôjun's hand.  "It will be a while before the real contractions start, and she needs you to keep her company for the time being.  The Nyan-Nyans will help out.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other business to tend to."  She left.  Several Nyan-Nyans jumped on the bed.

"Nyan-Nyans help Kôran-san?" one asked.  "Take big pain away?"

"Iie," she gasped, her speech halted by her labored breathing.  "All…my children…won't be born here…with you Nyan…Nyans.  I…should…get used to…the pain…now…so I'll know…about what to…expect…next time."  She suddenly clutched at Hôjun's hand.  "Hôjun!  It hurts!"

"Daijôbu, no da," he soothed.  "I'm right here, no da."  He gently sat her up, loosened her already messy hair from its binds, and laid her back down again.  He began to bathe her face again, until she whimpered slightly, "Hô…j-jun…"  He set the bowl and cloth down, stretched out beside her, and pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly, but cautiously.  He stroked her back and hair, whispering assurances to her, trying to keep her calm.

Neither knew how long they lay like that.  Kôran seemed to have leveled out pain-wise, but she suddenly tensed almost impossibly and screamed.  It had begun.

Her pain became worse and worse as the contractions strengthened and came closer and closer together.  She was drenched with sweat, and her eyes were glazed over, nearly unseeing.  Her grip on Hôjun's hand proved most uncomfortable for him, but he barely noticed, all his attention on her.  The Nyan-Nyans were gathered on the foot of the bed, watching and waiting for the baby to come.  One was forward from the rest, the one who would make sure the baby came out okay.  It wasn't long before a faint crying sound was heard, and Hôjun looked back and saw the Nyan-Nyan holding a red, wrinkled baby in its arms.  Other Nyan-Nyans gathered around to see, while a few saw to cutting the umbilical cord and expelling the afterbirth.  The one holding the baby looked at the new parents, grinning.

"Nyan-Nyans go clean baby off," it said.  "Then, give back."  It jumped off the bed, followed by the others.

Hôjun looked down at his wife, who seemed just barely conscious.  "Omedetô, Kôran," he purred, stroking her cheek.  "You did it."

"Mmm," was all she could manage, a slight smile on her face.  The Nyan-Nyans soon returned, bearing a bundle wrapped in white cloth, its tiny head peeking out from the up end.

"It girl!" several of the Nyan-Nyans chirped, and the one holding it laid it on Kôran's chest.  She pushed the sweat-soaked fabric of her undergarment away and held the baby to her breast.  It pawed a bit, mewing, at first, but it soon took her nipple into its mouth, beginning to suckle.  Kôran turned her face up to her daughter's father, taking his lips in a sweet kiss.

"What should we name her?" she asked when she broke the kiss.

He didn't have time to open his mouth before they heard a bird in a tree outside their window burst into song.  It was spring again, and the bird was happy.  It seemed to be celebrating life itself, it was singing so passionately.  Hôjun turned back to his wife.

"How about Tori, no da?" he asked.  Kôran smiled dreamily.

"That's perfect," she whispered, and dropped off to sleep.  Hôjun rocked his wife and daughter slowly back and forth, more content at that moment than he had been in a long time.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Well, some of you asked for little Ris, so here ya go!  Funny that I got requests for them the chapter before I meant to write a baby into this anyway.  There would have been a baby whether people asked for one or not.  I'm happy I know some of you really wanted one! ^_^  Expect more in the future!  Please send any comments you have to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	11. Departure

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Eleven:  Departure 

The summer was drawing to a close.  It was three years since Hôjun completed his three-year training period at Daikyoku-zan, and Shôryû was back on its feet again.  The population had grown quite a bit, for villagers from a nearby town largely destroyed by a fire had taken up residence in the little town by the river.  Hôjun did not know many of those people yet, and he had known nearly everyone in the Shôryû before the flood.  Nevertheless, it was home.

Tori was a bright and healthy five-year-old, who at present was clinging to her father's shoulders as she rode piggyback back home from watching the clouds in a field outside of town.  Her mother walked a little behind them, her one-year-old little brother, Seiryoku, nestled snugly in the young woman's arms.  It was nearly evening, and the little baby needed to go to bed soon.

Later that night, as Kôran walked out of the children's room after putting them to bed, she noticed a strange look in her husband's eye.  She seemed to remember it from somewhere, but she couldn't place it.  When she stepped nearer and looked straight into his face, she realized where she had seen that look before:  he had had the same unfocused expression when he first sensed the Nyan-Nyan calling him in the woods six years ago.  Something was seeking his attention.

"Hôjun?" she asked, laying a hand on his arm.  "What is it?  What's calling you?"

"Na?"  He shook his head as if waking suddenly from sleep.  He blinked a few times, the light coming back to his eye.  "Nothing is calling me, really, no da.  But…I feel like something is about to happen, no da.  Something big, no da."

"Good or bad?" she asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"I don't know, no da," he replied.  Then, he stood up.  "I'm going to bed, no da.  Perhaps this feeling will be clearer in the morning, no da.  Oyasumi, no da."

"Oyasumi," she said.  She wasn't surprised that he was going to bed a little early, for he had worked hard that day chopping and hauling wood from the forest to the back of his carpenter shop.  The fact that he had an odd feeling in his mind that something was about to occur bothered her, though.  What was he sensing?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, she got up and found him already awake, but sitting motionless with his eye closed at the table.  He appeared to be in meditation, so she didn't bother him.

In the middle of getting things together to cook breakfast, he spoke, his back to her, and his eye still closed.  "I must leave soon, no da."

"N-nani?" she said, a bit startled at the sudden proclamation.  Leave?  She didn't want him to leave!

He gave her a reason that left no room for argument:  "Suzaku no Miko, no da.  She's come, no da."

She could do nothing but look at him, dreading her husband's unavoidable departure.  He continued.

"I was in meditation to find what the feeling was, no da.  Taiitsukun made contact with me when I realized Suzaku no Miko had come, no da.  She said that Suzaku no Miko had come before, but was confused in her heart as to whether she wanted to be the Miko, even though she thought she was sure, no da.  Her confusion caused her subconscious call to her Seishi to not happen, and she left for three months, no da.  Now, she has returned, and is looking for her Seishi, no da."  He turned to look his wife in the eye.  "I know you don't want me to go, no da.  But, I have to, even if I myself didn't want to follow my destiny as a Seishi, no da.  I should leave tomorrow at the latest, if I can, no da."

She lowered her head.  "Wakatta," she murmured, sadness lacing her tone.  "I won't interfere."

He got up and went to her, knelt down in front of her bowed form, and wrapped his arms around her.  "Kôran, gomen nasai, no da.  I would deny my destiny if I could, but I cannot stay from Suzaku no Miko, no matter how much I wanted to, no da.  Please, don't be sad, no da.  I'll come back to you as soon as I can, no da."

Just then, they heard little Seiryoku crying from his cradle.  A second later, Tori burst from their room.  "Kâsan!  The baby's crying!"

Kôran sighed and extracted herself from Hôjun's arms, walking into the children's room to tend to her son.  Tori jumped into Hôjun's lap, wrapping her round little arms around his neck.  "Ohayô, Tôsan!"

"Ohayô, Tori-chan, no da," he smiled.  His daughter had brightened his mood as usual, but deep down, he desperately wished tomorrow would not come.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, he and his family stood in the front room of the house.  Hanabira was over from her fiancé's house to say goodbye, as were many other people in the village.  Hôjun was quite well loved in Shôryû, and everyone was sad to hear he was leaving.

After goodbyes and wishes of good luck were said, and everyone had dispersed to their homes, only Hôjun, Kôran, Tori, and little Seiryoku were left in the room.  Hôjun had dressed in traveling clothes earlier, and he needed to get only a few more things before he was ready to go.  Kôran, who had his cloak, laid a gentle kiss on his lips as she fastened it around his shoulders.*

*BOTH shoulders.  He's not a monk in this story, and therefore doesn't wear his cloak like a monk.

"You be careful, you hear?" she whispered when they broke apart.  "You come back to us in one piece."  Hôjun had not been vague when he had told of the dangers he may face as a Seishi.  There was no telling how long he would be gone, and the longer he was gone, the higher the chance of him being hurt or killed.  The thought of losing him was unbearable, and she felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought of the possibility of his death, out in the middle of nowhere, the other Seishi having no choice but to bury him where he fell.  When she finished fastening his cloak, she latched tightly onto him, pressing her face to his chest.  "I don't want to lose you!"

He laid his hand on her head.  "I won't die, Kôran," he soothed.  "Yakusoku yo."  She let go of him after a few minutes, and he made ready to leave.  All he needed was his kasa, his shakujo staff, his prayer beads, and his mask.  He had stored some essential items in the kasa-space, so he didn't need to carry anything that may slow him down.  His shakujo and prayer beads were monks' tools, and he had at first wondered why Taiitsukun had given them to him.  He was no monk, and there was no reason to carry anything that would make people think he was.  He had soon proved himself wrong, though, as they turned out to be wonderful mediums for focusing his magic.  His mask was the last thing he took up.  He didn't wear it inside the town of Shôryû, but he refused to go into any other town without it on.  He still hurt from his experience in that town near Daikyoku-zan, and he had no desire to repeat it.

Ready to leave, he took his son from his wife's arms, holding him tightly but gently to his chest.  Kneeling down, he brought his daughter to him with his other arm.  "Sayonara, my children.  I will miss you."  He could barely speak above a whisper, his grief at leaving his family for perhaps the last time grinding into his heart.  Seiryoku was too young to know what was going on, and hung on to his father's clothing, as was automatic whenever he was picked up.  Tori barely understood what was going on, either, only knowing that Tôsan was leaving for what could be a very long time.  That in itself caused her sadness, and she clung tight to her father.

Letting go of his daughter and setting his son on the low table, Hôjun stood up and faced his wife.  They stared at each other for no more than a second, and he swept her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her.  Their tears were finally released, and their cheeks were wet by the time they parted.  Hôjun realized Tori was hanging tight to his leg, tears on her face as well.  He paid her no mind for the moment, focusing only on his weeping Kôran.

"Sayonara, my beloved.  I will visit if I can."  He was obviously deeply upset, as indicated by the absence of his peculiar speech habit.  He separated completely from her, Tori letting go of him as he stepped back.  He attempted a smile.  "I'll be back as soon as I can."  With that, he pulled the kasa over his head and disappeared.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Yes, I know this chapter is a little short, but I said what I wanted to say.  I hope I didn't get a little too wordy there near the end.  Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, and send any comments you have to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	12. Meetings

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twelve:  Meetings 

"Ah…there they are, no da."

Hôjun had been searching around for a while for Suzaku no Miko.  Not that he couldn't pinpoint where they were, they just kept moving around.  He had just witnessed a rather affectionate reunion between Suzaku no Miko, who was apparently named Miaka, and a tall young man with greenish-black hair.  The man had almost impaled her hand on a scythe before he recognized her.

Hôjun knew who that young man was.  Suzaku Shichi Seishi, Tamahome.  Taiitsukun had taught Hôjun to recognize different ki signatures, and the signature of this man was unmistakable.

_So, that's our champion, ne, no da?_ Hôjun thought.  He seemed a bit on the childish side, but Suzaku must have chosen him to be the champion of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi for a reason.

Then, you had the purple-haired young woman.  That was Nuriko, as indicated by her ki.  Hôjun was a bit confused, as he thought he remembered Taiitsukun referring to all the Suzaku Shichi Seishi as "he."  He got the feeling there was more to this woman than met the eye.

"Who are these people?" Hôjun heard one of Tamahome's companions ask.

"Oh!" Tamahome exclaimed, as if just remembering there were other people in the clearing with them.  "This is Suzaku no Miko," he said, indicating Miaka.  Then, he pointed to Nuriko.  "And, this guy's gay."

_So_, Hôjun thought as an irked Nuriko clobbered Tamahome on the head, _Nuriko _is_ a man, no da!_  He was a little surprised, to say the least.  A man who apparently went all out to look like a woman was not what Hôjun really expected to find.  _To each his own, I guess, no da._

_Danger!_ Hôjun's senses suddenly screamed in his head.  _Protect the Miko!_

Without thinking, Hôjun started forward toward Miaka.  He wasn't sure what the danger was, but he knew he should get her out of the clearing.  There was no time for formalities, so Hôjun didn't even bother to announce himself.  He just reached out of the trees, put his hands over her mouth to keep her from screaming, and dragged her back into the woods.

"Miaka!" he heard Tamahome call, followed by the sound of someone running through the trees toward them.  He was not happy, and neither was Miaka, if you could tell anything from how she struggled to get away.  She was small, but she was feisty.  She reminded him of Hanabira, to tell the truth.  He had managed to get her far enough from the clearing and was about to let her go, when he felt a sharp pain flare up in his hand.

"Te!!!!!!!!!!!!" he squealed, letting her go.  She had bitten him!  He probably would have done the same thing in her position, but damn, it hurt!  "Itai, no da," he whined in the high-pitched voice he tended to use while wearing his mask.  "You know, no da, I don't mind if you bite _me_, Miss, but you can't do that to _everyone_ you meet, no da!"  _Actually, I mind very much that you bit me, no da!_  "Bye-bye, no da!"  With that, he disappeared into his kasa.

"Wait!" he heard Miaka squeak when he disappeared, and he got the feeling she had grabbed his kasa before it could disappear as well.  "Kitsune-san!  Don't go!"  He might as well let her keep hold of the kasa.  Makes it much easier to find her next time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Eh?  What's this?"

Hôjun jerked awake, having drifted off to a light sleep after a while of waiting and listening for the best time to make his appearance.  He wasn't intent on making an entrance, but there was no need to scare Miaka or anyone around her by just popping up out of the kasa unexpected.  He wouldn't have disappeared in the first place, but he wanted to tend to his hand.  Now, Suzaku no Miko was, judging by the sound of running water, near a river.

"Let's see…it says here that the fourth Seishi of Suzaku is…"  Miaka seemed to have a bit of trouble reading something.  _Maybe the writing in her world is different from ours, no da._  "Ara?  This kanji is for 'carpenter,' and this other one is for…'mask,' I think.  What do _those_ two kanji have to do with each other?  A carpenter who makes masks?"

Hôjun smiled.  _I guess they do sound a little odd together, no da._

Right then, he heard a strange man's voice, and he didn't like the sound of it.  Miaka started to respond, her own voice completely trusting.  She wasn't more than a few words into her response, though, before she stopped and gasped.  There was a _chud_, the sound of a scythe striking earth.

_She's being attacked, no da!  Now's as good a time as ever to come out, no da!_  He soon realized a bit of a problem.  _Oh, shit!  She's _wearing_ it, no da!!!!!!!!!!_  The sound of fighting came through into the kasa-space, and apparently Tamahome had shown up.  By the sound of it, there were two assassins now, instead of one.  And one had backed Miaka up against a tree…

Taking a risk, he plunged his hands out of the kasa.  Pinpointing the assassin's ki, he formed a simple ki ball and knocked him backwards, out of range for attacking Miaka.  The assassins—indeed, everyone—seemed disconcerted by the sight of hands just appearing out of a hat, and disappeared.  Hôjun managed to get the kasa off of Miaka's shoulders, and emerged completely.

"I'm glad you're all right, no da!" he said.  Tamahome seemed reluctant to let Miaka even near him.  It was no wonder, for they had just witnessed disembodied hands come out of a hat and chase away two assassins, then comes this man with a fox-looking face, an extremely high soprano voice, and rather funny-looking hair, and to top it off, he had a monk's prayer beads and shakujo, but the rest of his clothes indicated that he was not a monk at all.  _They may think I'm a thief who stole them from a monk, no da._  Turns out, Tamahome didn't even think Hôjun was human.

The next several hours flew by as they went to a small village to a house (which, considering the resemblance between Tamahome and the boy called Chûei, was Tamahome's family's), Miaka left for something "feminine," Tamahome left in a rush a little later yelling Miaka's name, Hôjun decided to abandon Nuriko and follow, Tamahome saved Miaka from a hungry tiger (Hôjun almost laughed when he heard Miaka's "Tora!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"), Tamahome left again, and Miaka, who promised to stay right where she was, ran off toward the Kutô-koku border.

_Where's she going now?_ Hôjun thought.  _I ought to follow._  As it turned out, she was going straight into Kutô-koku, which was a rather stupid thing to do, due to the recent strains between the two counties.  Hôjun himself really didn't want to cross the border, but he would if he had to.

As he expected, she had trouble at the border gate.  She expected to just be able to walk right through, the silly girl.  Hôjun, hiding behind the wall of the gate, decided to try a little something.  He had never spellbound anyone before, and he wanted to see if he could do it properly.  He could.  _I did it, no da!_

A cold, burning feeling swept over him, and he almost lost his grip on his spell.  Seiryû Shichi Seishi!  Amazingly powerful, too!  The Seiryû Shichi Seishi weren't any reason to get upset—not that Hôjun could foresee, anyway—but the feeling of this one approaching…it didn't feel right.  It didn't feel friendly at all.  He took a chance and peeked around the wall.

It was the Kutô-koku shôgun, if Hôjun was correct in interpreting his armor.  He was a huge man, very tall and solid muscle, albeit slender.  A very powerful aura surrounded him, and the feeling of it was that of mental instability.  _What's a mentally unstable man doing as the shôgun, no da?_  It only unsettled Hôjun further.  Lost in his thoughts of the newcomer, Hôjun didn't realized what they were saying until he felt his spellbind break abruptly.  It was the shôgun, apparently skilled in manipulating his ki.  Hôjun finally had the presence of mind to identify this man.  _Nakago…I don't like the sound of that, no da._  While reading up on the Seishi of all four gods at Daikyoku-zan (the most information was on the Byakko and Genbu Seishi, as the Suzaku and Seiryû Seishi had not been utilized yet), all he could find on the one called Nakago was that he would cause great upset in the world.

Just as he realized that, he heard Miaka telling Nakago that she was Seiryû no Miko!  _Miaka no baka, no da!  Don't go with him, no da!_  He had been so wrapped up in Nakago, that Hôjun hadn't realized Tamahome was running up, and was now trying to shove his way past the border guards.  _Kuso!  Tamahome, you idiot!_  He saw Miaka get on Nakago's horse and go off with him toward the capital city, which wasn't too far from here (_Eep!  Miaka no bakayarô, no da!_), giving Hôjun no choice but to deal with Tamahome.

"Domo sumimasen, na no da!" he cried, jumping up behind Tamahome and dragging him off.  "He's just had a little too much sake to drink, no da!  We'll be going now, no da!"  He ignored the surprised looks the guards gave him and shoved Tamahome behind a tree, praying to Suzaku that the brash young man wouldn't yell out once he let him go.

"Chichiri!  What're you—" Tamahome began.

"Shh, no da!  Let me handle this, no da!"  With that, Hôjun disappeared, heading for the Kutô-koku palace.  In his haste to go, he didn't notice Tamahome heading back toward the gate to try to force his way through again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Things just got from bad to worse as Hôjun observed everything as best he could without letting Nakago know he was there.  Miaka was taken before the Emperor of Kutô-koku (_How dare that old man insult our emperor, no da?!_), Hôjun realized with surprise that the Emperor of Kônan-koku was one of the Suzaku Seishi when he heard Miaka refer to him as "Hotohori," Miaka was tearfully reunited with a similarly-dressed girl called Yui (_Kawaii, no da.  She looks like Kôran with short blonde hair, no da_), Nakago got a hold of Kônan-koku's _Shi Jin Tenchi Sho_, and Miaka and Yui were chased through the palace halls by armed guards.  Despite all that, suddenly sensing Tamahome's ki in the courtyard of the palace took the cake.  He wasn't supposed to be here!

Hôjun teleported outside into the pouring rain just as a guard ran up to Nakago to tell of an intruder in the palace.  He watched nervously from the roof as Tamahome and Nakago came face-to-face, and Nakago seemed to keep up with even Tamahome's fighting skills by not letting him get a hit in.  _No choice, no da!_  He quickly spellbound Nakago, hoping to give Tamahome enough time to get away.  He really didn't know how long he could hold someone as strong as the shôgun still.  Tamahome was able to get away, but Nakago broke out of the spellbind a second later.  Hôjun had no time to react before he was knocked off the roof with Nakago's release of ki.  He teleported to a (hopefully) safe place before he fell very far.

_Kuso, no da_, he thought, a little irritated.  _Now what do I do, no da?  Might as well keep an eye on Miaka and Tamahome's ki, no da._

It wasn't long before he sensed danger again.  Miaka was being forcefully subdued by some force of Seiryû, and Tamahome was angry and scared about something.  Hôjun quickly teleported to where they were, finding himself in front of a door guarded by a strong, anti-Suzaku barrier.

"Shimatta, no da!" Hôjun cursed when the barrier didn't show any signs of weakness.  He took the time to clonk Tamahome with his shakujo when asked if his last statement was a pun.

"Chichiri!" Tamahome cried, desperation creeping into his voice.  "Can you find a way in there?!"

"I can try, no da," Hôjun replied, and began concentrating his ki.  He was going to need one doozy of a teleportation spell for this.  He did his best to block out the sounds of Miaka being attacked and Tamahome's outraged curses, praying that he would be able to get in there in time.

He thanked his lucky star that he did.  He was just able to catch Miaka before she was smashed into the shrine wall.

"Wow, no da!  You would have died if you had hit the wall going that fast, no da!" he said, false cheerfulness in his tone.  He was anything but cheerful now.  To tell the truth, he was terrified and furious at the same time.

"Chichiri…" Miaka managed to whisper before she passed out in his arms.

_Damn you, Nakago!_ Hôjun thought heatedly as he concentrated and let loose a powerful ki blast.  Before the light faded, he sensed Tamahome.  The young martial artist had managed to break through the ward.  Hôjun had barely realized this when Tamahome had run over and grabbed Miaka from him.

"Miaka!  Miaka!  It's me!  Daijôbu ka?!"  He had his back to Nakago, and unless Hôjun stayed on alert, the blond Shôgun would probably ki-blast the couple on the floor.  He took off his kasa and threw it at them.

"Get in there, no da!" he ordered.  "You'll be safe, no da!"

"No, wait!" Miaka cried, just having regained consciousness.  "We can't leave Yui-chan!"

"Yui!" Tamahome said urgently to the girl behind Nakago.  "We're going now…"

Hôjun was lost to the exchange of words as he brought up his hands to block a blast of blue ki from the shôgun.  He was knocked backwards, almost into Tamahome and Miaka.  When the ki faded, he thought they were all safe for now, until…

…his mask fell off.

_Oh, no!_ he thought, mortified.  _Oh, gods!  Oh, Suzaku!_  No matter the situation, practical strangers seeing his face was something he wished would never happen.  What would they think of him now?!  As he feared, everyone, even the furious Nakago, stopped and stared.  He wanted to curl up and die, but he managed to keep himself calm on the outside.

"Hayaku, no da!" he cried to Tamahome and Miaka.  "Go, no da!"  The Miko and the Seishi finally went into the kasa.  Hôjun picked it up and placed it on his head, teleporting himself and the other two to Daikyoku-zan.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Yes, I know this chapter is almost exactly like in the manga and anime, but it's from a different point of view as in Watase's original.  I probably won't do any other chapters this close to the original, but it's possible.  Oh, and a note on Hôjun's hair:  his fringe of bangs stick up just like they do in the anime and manga, but it's not buzzed over most of the scalp.  It's basically like it is in his flashbacks to where he was eighteen, just with his bangs longer and more vertical.  Anyway, I hope I didn't bore you with an almost complete recap of this particular part of the original, and please send any comments to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	13. Outmatched

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Thirteen:  Outmatched 

"I'm going, too!"

Everyone stopped and looked at Tasuki.

"No, no da!" Hôjun replied hastily.  "It's dangerous, Tasuki, no da!  We shouldn't have more people in danger than need be, no da!"

"Hey, I thought three were supposed to be better than two," the fiery Seishi retorted, sounding a little annoyed.  "Besides, I wanna meet this Tamahome guy."

"Tasuki, no da," Hôjun said, trying to placate the hot-tempered young man.  "I really must insist you stay behind, no da."

Tasuki looked like he was about to lose his temper with the older man, but as one, they both looked over to Hotohori.  He was the emperor, after all, and was acting as Seishi leader until Tamahome returned.  It was obvious they both wanted him to make the decision.

"Ano…" Hotohori hesitated.  He really didn't know who to side with.  He quickly made up his mind to go with the older of the two, since Chichiri seemed to be quite a bit wiser than the rash Tasuki.  "Tasuki, I say as well that it would be better if you stayed behind."

Tasuki was visibly displeased with the decision, but didn't argue.  "Fine, then," he huffed, and stood back as Hôjun undid the clasp to his cloak and laid it flat on the floor.

"Stand on this, Miaka-chan," Hôjun said, and Miaka stepped onto the blue-patterned fabric.  Hôjun brought the tip of his shakujo down in the middle, and it started sinking into the floor.

"Ja ne, minna!" Miaka chirped, flashing the peace sign.  "Don't worry!  Chichiri can look out for both of us!"  She quickly sunk out of sight, and Hôjun followed, pulling his cloak with him with his shakujo.

Hotohori, Tasuki, Chiriko, Nuriko, and Mitsukake just stood there, trying to believe what their own eyes just showed them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Wow, Chichiri!" Miaka squealed.  "You magic is incredible!  You transported us from Kônan-koku to here in a flash!  Demo…ouch!"  The tree branch dug sharply into her ribs and stomach.  "PICK A BETTER SPOT NEXT TIME!!!!!!  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  The tree branch suddenly broke, sending them both crashing to the ground, Hôjun on bottom.

"Itai, no da," a chibi Hôjun whined.  "Miaka-chan, please get off me, no da.  You're crushing my spine, no da."

"Oh!" Miaka squeaked, jumping up.  "Gomen nasai!"  The gods know what possessed her to do what she did next, but she reached down and stroked his hair like you would pet a cat.  "Daijôbu, Chichiri!  I didn't mean it!"

"Nya?"

"Oh, my, Chichiri, what long hair you have!" Miaka marveled.

"I'm over here, no da!" a still-chibi Hôjun protested, kneeling behind Miaka where he had fallen.

"Are?" Miaka asked quizzically.  She looked down at the being on whose head she had her hand on.  It wasn't the fox-faced Seishi, but a small white cat.  "Huh?  Where have I seen you before, neko-chan?"

"Ano…" Hôjun started, feeling an edge of exasperation start up.  She had just been playing with that cat less than an hour ago.

"Oh, I know!" Miaka said.  "You're Mitsukake's cat, aren't you?"

"Nya."

"Hey, I know!" Miaka nearly shouted, causing Hôjun to look nervously around for anyone who may hear.  "Animals have really good noses, right?  The cat can help us find that tree Tamahome told us to meet him at!  He said it was surrounded by flowers!"

_Wow, no da_, Hôjun thought.  _A flash of cleverness, no da._  Hôjun had come to love Miaka like a little sister, but that didn't mean he didn't get a little frustrated with her perpetual denseness.  It seemed all she thought about was food and Tamahome.  He hoped she was brighter than she let on.  "All right, no da.  Let's get moving, no da."

After a few wrong turns due to the cat's desire to stalk little critters, they finally got to the designated tree.  It seemed quiet enough, but they had been sitting waiting for Tamahome for quite some time when Miaka suddenly said, a little forlornly, "Gee, I hope he shows up."

"He'll be here, no da," Hôjun assured her.  As if to prove his statement, they both turned their heads as they heard rustling in the bushes not far off.

"Tamahome?!" Miaka squealed, and before Hôjun could stop her, she jumped out of the little nook in the bushes they had been sitting in.  Instead of the hoped-for Seishi, there was…

Miaka gasped.  There stood Yui, with Nakago behind her.  Flanking them, with their spears pointed for Miaka and her fourth Seishi, were perhaps two-dozen palace guards.

"Yu…Yui-chan!" Miaka exclaimed.

"Well, well, Miaka," Yui said, a bit smugly.  "It been quite awhile, hasn't it?"

"Yui-chan," Miaka replied, a bit of a tremor in her voice.  "Why are you here?"

"Really, Suzaku no Miko?" the blond shôgun said, stepping forward.  Is that any way to greet an old friend?"  Miaka winced at the way he emphasized "friend."  Nakago raised his hand toward the two before him.  "Now, which should I take care of first?  Suzaku no Miko, or her 'guardian' Seishi?"

"Matte, Nakago!" Yui spoke up quickly.  "There's no need to harm them now.  Have them taken to the dungeon.  I want a few words with Suzaku no Miko later.  You can do whatever you want with her Seishi."

"Wakarimashita," Nakago replied, then turned to the guards.  "Seize them!"

Miaka acted with surprising speed and threw herself at the nearest guard, knocking him off his feet.  As the other guards moved in and grabbed her arms and legs to keep her from attacking any others, she turned to Hôjun.  "Chichiri!" she called.  "Get out of here!"

"Demo…Miaka-chan, I can't just—" he started.  He couldn't just leave the Miko in enemy hands!

"Hayaku!" she shouted.  Guards were closing in on Hôjun, and he didn't have much space to back up.

He gritted his teeth.  He didn't like it, but perhaps lying low for a while was the best plan.  He gathered his energy and fazed out, hoping Nakago didn't block his ability to do so.  He found that the shôgun had, more or less, when he discovered he couldn't teleport any farther than the outer gates of the palace.

_Kuso, no da_, he thought, teleporting to the top of a tall tree.  _I'm stuck here, no da.  Maybe I should have let Tasuki come along after all, no da._

He waited for as long as he thought it safe to leave Miaka alone in the palace, then quickly went over his options for attempting to free her and get through the barrier Nakago had cast around the palace grounds.  Somehow finding Tamahome and getting him out as well was also a factor he had to consider.

An idea suddenly forced its way to his attention.  A grin spread across his face as he thought about it.  _Perfect, no da!_

He climbed down to the ground, looked around to make sure no one was near, and with a _poof!_ he stood there as the Shôgun of Kutô-koku, the champion of the Seiryû Seishi, the blond foreigner, Nakago.  He looked down at himself, then at his reflection in a nearby pool of water.  _Ha!  I got it almost perfect, no da!  They won't be able to tell me from the real thing, no da!_  He found a nearby path and walked deliberately up to the palace.  By chance, he came upon a rather deserted part of the outer balcony, and another idea occurred to him.  _Might as well create a diversion, no da._  He snapped his fingers, and there was an illusion of himself, gagged and tied to one of the support pillars.  It was maskless, and stood slackly, as if it had no hope of escaping from the tight ropes.  Hôjun made sure his shakujo and prayer beads were absent from the illusion, for it would be quite easy to escape with them.  As a finishing touch, the illusion had a few slight bruises on its face, as if having been knocked around a bit to be made to submit.

"You will be able to fool them, won't you?" Hôjun asked in Nakago's voice, taking the illusion's chin in his hand, tilting its head up so he could look straight into its eye.  The illusion jerked away, a mixture of fear and loathing in its eye.  "Very good," Hôjun said, satisfied with his little trick.  With luck, this may go off without a hitch!

He located Miaka and set off in her direction.  He sensed danger, but he didn't want to look in a hurry, which may tip off observant passersby.  As he got nearer, he heard Miaka's high-pitched demands to be let go.

"Hanashite!" the little Miko screamed.  "Hanashite yo!  TAMAHOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  One of the guards holding her told her to shut up, and slapped her hard.  Hôjun saw red.

"Stop it," he ordered in Nakago's powerful voice.  "Give the girl to me."

"Y-yes, Shôgun!" the guards stammered, a little startled at the shôgun's unexpected appearance.  They handed her over without another word.

"Now, go look for that Seishi she was with!  You should have brought him to me by now!"  The guards left in a hurry.

"Ha…hanashite!" Miaka screamed again, as Hôjun had a rough grip on her and was dragging her rather uncomfortably down the balcony.  She struggled to get free, but to no avail.  She was nearly in tears when they turned the corner leading to Hôjun's illusion of himself.  Miaka was screaming over and over about wanting Tamahome.

"Do you really think Tamahome will come for you?" Hôjun asked unfeelingly.  "And, do you think that blue-haired fool will come for you as well?  Look!"

Miaka looked, and the energy she had such an abundance of in her attempts to free herself quickly left her.  She saw the illusion of her fourth Seishi tied and gagged, and despair dominated her distraught face.

"Chi…Chichiri!" she cried.

Hôjun raised his hand toward her, palm outward.  She whipped around, sensing his movement, and tried to scream.  Fear stopped her voice, however, and all she could do was back away.  Energy gathered in Hôjun's hand, and he gave her a sadistic smirk.

"Iie!" Miaka screamed.

"Just kidding!" Hôjun laughed, after giving her a few more seconds of his act.  He placed his hand on her head and tussled her hair.

"Ju…just kidding?!" she said, her face disbelieving.  "Masaka…CHICHIRI?!?!?!?!"

"Na no da!" he squeaked in his mask voice, _poof_ing back to himself and flashing the peace sign.  "I just needed to do that to fool the guards, no da!  Do you think my disguise was good, no da?"  He noticed Miaka, facevaulted and twitching on the ground.  "Er…maybe it was a little _too_ good, no da?"

"Chichiri no baka!" Miaka said, indignant, as she grabbed the cat from the floor and knelt down, her back to her Seishi.

"Oh, come on, Miaka-chan, no da!" Hôjun pleaded in his kawaii voice.  "I didn't mean to scare you _too_ much, no da!"  He noticed a spot of red on her left arm.  "Miaka-chan, no da!  What happened, no da?!"  He gently touched the red, and she jerked away, pain lancing through her arm even at his slight touch.

"Itai!" she wailed.  "Stop!  I think it's broken!"

It was times like this that Hôjun wished he knew more about healing magic.  All he could do was tear a strip of cloth from his shirt and bind her arm as best he could.

"Miaka-chan, no da," Hôjun said when he had finished.  "I need to go look for Tamahome, no da.  I can't take you along, as that may raise suspicion, no da."  He thought a minute.  "I'm going to have to tie you to the pole, so it looks like you're a prisoner, no da."

"Nani?"  She didn't look happy.

"I'm sorry, no da," he apologized.  "But, it will keep you from being dragged off again by any guards that may happen by, no da.  It's not a sure thing, but it's the safest bet, no da."  Miaka still didn't look too happy, but she allowed herself to be tied to the pole and gagged, after Hôjun had dispersed the illusion of himself, which had just stood there watching them up to that point.  He made sure the ropes stayed in place, but didn't tie her too tight, so as not to make her too uncomfortable.

He _poof_ed back to Nakago.  "I'll be back in a little bit, no da!  Tamahome will be with me, no da!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He'd been wandering around for what seemed like forever, and he still hadn't sensed Tamahome's ki anywhere.  He was beginning to worry.  He should be able to sense him anywhere in the palace, but it was like he wasn't even there.  He had had no luck by the time he had looked over every part of the palace except the parts the shôgun wasn't allowed in—and there weren't many places Nakago wasn't allowed—and he was starting to get downright nervous.

His luck took a terrible turn for the worst when he turned a corner, heading back toward Miaka.  He found himself staring into a pair of surprised blue eyes.  Eyes exactly like his own at the moment…

"Da…" he stuttered.  He was so distracted by his worry over not finding Tamahome that he had failed completely to sense the real Nakago just around the corner!

"Su…Suzaku Shichi Sei?!" the shôgun exclaimed, clearly shocked at finding himself staring at himself.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hôjun wailed, streaking down the hallway, _poof_ing back to himself.  He had to get away!  "Miaka, no da!" he squealed as he ran up to her.  "My cover's blown, no da!  We've got to get out of—"

Miaka was gone!

_Kuso, no da!_ he thought.  _I should have tied those ropes tighter, no da!  Why did she leave, no da?!_  She was somewhere not far from there, and Hôjun sensed danger quite strongly.  He wasted no time in pinpointing her position and teleporting himself to her.

There was Tamahome, but, then again, it wasn't.  Hôjun could detect nothing familiar in his ki.  Moreover, the Suzaku champion was making ready to strike Miaka with a pair of nunchaku!

Hôjun dove at Miaka, tackling her to the ground to avoid injury to her, but he caught the blow intended for her across the back.  Gods, it hurt!  Miaka was unconscious.

"Mi-Miaka-chan, no da!" he managed, feeling like his spine had been snapped in two.  "Daijôbu, no da?!"

A shadow fell over him.  Tamahome wanted blood, and he didn't intend on giving his targets a fighting chance.  Hôjun struggled up from the ground, still holding Miaka, and ducked away as the deadly nunchaku came frighteningly near to his head.

"Tamahome, no da!" Hôjun pleaded.  "Yamero, no da!  We're your friends, no da!"  The barrier Nakago had cast around the palace prevented him from casting anything more powerful than teleportation, and that wouldn't keep them safe forever.  "Tamahome, no da!" he screamed again at his seemingly possessed leader.  "How could you do this, no da?!  You could have killed Miaka-chan, no da!"

"That's exactly what I want, Suzaku bastard," the warrior in black said chillingly.  "Give her to me!"

_Kuso, no da!_ Hôjun mentally cursed again.  _He's serious, no da!  And, without my magic, I'm seriously outmatched, no da!_  He took the safest escape for the time being.  He ran.

"Come back here!" he heard Tamahome shout after them.

"Tamahome!" Miaka, who had just awoken, screamed.  "Why?!"

"Miaka-chan!" Hôjun said, glad she was awake.  His happiness was short-lived, as a huge blast of ki exploded just behind them.

Nakago was here.

Hôjun and Miaka were knocked sprawling.  Hôjun landed on top of Miaka, sandwiching her between him and the ground.  He tried to stand up, but a ki ball slammed into his back, effectively keeping him down.

"So, you Suzaku garbage think you can invade the palace, ne?" the cold voice of who was once Tamahome smirked from behind them.  He turned to Nakago, and the two exchanged words quickly, too quiet for Hôjun or Miaka to hear.

Hôjun felt something small and soft squished between him and Miaka.  _The cat, no da!_  He thought quickly, hoping to find a way out of this.  _It doesn't bear the mark of Suzaku, no da!  Maybe I can use it as a medium to get us out of here, no da!_  He channeled all the energy he could spare into the cat, calling out for the others back at the Kônan-koku palace.  _Heika, no da!_ he spoke mentally, hoping to reach the others.  _Minna, no da!_

"Chichiri?!" he heard the puzzled voice of Hotohori echo through his mind.  "Where are you?!  And, why is Mitsukake's cat floating in the air above my head?!?!"

_No time to explain, no da!_  He barely had enough time to think "no da" before another ball of ki exploded against his flesh, slamming him to the ground again, crushing Miaka under him.  "Ah!  Itai, no da!"

"Chichiri!" he heard Miaka gasp.  He could here the other Seishi's frightened questions through the link.

"What happened?!"

"Where are you?!"

"Are you hurt?!"

_Stop, no da!_ he mentally screamed frantically.  _Concentrate all the energy you can on the cat, no da!  I may be able to get Miaka and me out of here, no da!_

"So silent?" he heard Tamahome growl from behind him.  "I can fix that."

"Tamahome!" Miaka screamed.  "Yamete!  Don't hurt him!"

Tamahome did not hear.  The nunchaku crashed repeatedly against Hôjun's back, earning cries of agony from the prone Seishi.

"Die, Suzaku filth!" Tamahome raged at his former companion.  Miaka was crying beneath her guardian, knowing he was staying where he was to protect her from the same beating.

Flute music filled the air.

_Chiriko, no da!_ Hôjun thought through a haze of white-hot pain.  _I could use this, no da!_  He concentrated his ki as best he could in his battered state.  It just might be enough…!

Red light flared up around them.  Tamahome jumped back, cursing violently at the sudden illumination.  _I did it, no da!_ Hôjun thought weakly.  His back felt like mincemeat, and the pain was quickly overwhelming his senses.  The cat, a little flattened and full of kitty indignation at being squished, crawled out from between them and onto his shoulder.  As they fazed out of Kutô-koku and back into Kônan-koku, a quickly fading Hôjun thought he heard Miaka tearfully say something to the man she loved.

"Sayonara…Tamahome."

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  I've always wondered what would happen if Tasuki hadn't gone with Miaka and Chichiri to Kutô-koku.  So, here's what I thought may have gone on.  I'm sorry for beating up on Chichiri!  At least Tasuki fans that didn't like _him_ getting beat up don't have to suffer through watching him take so much damage.  I'm sorry for dialogue discrepancies (I know, there're lots) for the parts that are about the same as in the manga and anime.  I have the book, but I can't understand Japanese well enough to make an exact translation.  Anyway, please send any comments to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  No flames, please, especially since I already apologized for beating on Chichiri.


	14. Malady

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Fourteen:  Malady 

Hôjun lay on his stomach on his bed, trying without much success to get to sleep.  They had gotten back to Kônan-koku safely, but he had not been conscious for the trip.  Thinking back on it, he realized how lucky they were for the teleportation spell to have gone through to their intended destination with him unconscious.  If a spell falls out of the control of its caster, it can take on a life of its own and do who knows what.  It was pretty safe to assume that not being awake means losing control of the spell.  All he could remember before he had woken up here was Miaka's horribly pained voice.

_Sayonara…Tamahome_, kept running through his mind.  _Sayonara…Tamahome…sayonara…Tamahome…_

_Great Suzaku, no da!_ he thought.  _How can she take this, no da?!_  She very nearly couldn't take this.  He had been told that she had tried to drown herself earlier that night, but was saved by Hotohori.  The mere thought of drowning nearly brought up memories from his past that he had done so much to bury.  He quickly shoved them down before they could surface fully.  He didn't need to think of such things now.

To tell the truth, he had been worried, not just about Miaka, but about Hotohori.  He had sensed tender feelings from the emperor directed toward the Miko.  Now that Tamahome was gone with almost no chance of ever coming back, what would happen?

_Oh, Hotohori-sama,_ he thought, _don't go after Miaka-chan, no da.  You don't belong with each other, no da._  He dared not voice that thought aloud, for, friends or not, he knew that he had no place to tell the emperor who he can and cannot choose to court.  Still, he had sensed something between Miaka and Tamahome before Tamahome's brainwashing.  It felt much like the bond between himself and Kôran, only from an outsider's point of view.  He had no doubts in his mind that Miaka and Tamahome were soul mates, and they belonged to no one else, even with Tamahome possessed as he was.  Now, with Miaka scared and confused over what her brain is telling her—stay away from him—and what her heart is telling her—go to him—she may come to think she loves Hotohori if the emperor happens to reassert that he loves her as well.

More memories tried to rise…

_No, no da_, he ordered himself.  _I will _not_ think of what happened six years ago!  That has _no_ place in this!_  The similarities between the Miaka-Tamahome-Hotohori triangle and what happened six years ago in Shôryû did not pertain to every aspect of what was going on between the Miko and two of her Seishi, but the slightest hint of a love triangle anywhere and at any time always dredged up unwelcome memories of that rainy day.  He squeezed his eye shut.  He had heard that the reason for Tamahome's brainwashing was that Seiryû no Miko was also in love with him.  Another triangle.

_Shut up!_ Hôjun thought, mentally raging at his own thoughts.  With the pain in his back and the whirl of thoughts in his mind, he was never going to get to sleep!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_Wake up!!!!!!!!!_ his senses screamed.  _Danger!!!!!!!!!_

Hôjun startled awake and tried to push himself up off his stomach before he remembered he was injured.  He gave a choked cry as extreme pain lanced though him, and dropped back onto the bed as gently as he could.

Beside him, Tasuki jerked awake as the same urgent warning interrupted his sleep as well.  He had come in to talk—the bandit leader had to have been extremely bored to initiate a conversation on his own accord—but had apparently gotten very little sleep the night before as well, for he had dropped off to sleep at almost the same time Hôjun did.  He jumped out of the chair he was in, but stopped his charge for the door almost before it had begun when he heard Hôjun's cry.

"Chichiri?" Tasuki asked tentatively as he smoothed back damp strands of hair from the mage's suddenly sweaty forehead to get a look of his eye.  It was red from fatigue and shiny with tears welling up from the pain.  "Daijôbu ka?"

"Ha-hai, no da," Hôjun managed, though his body did not agree with him at all.  "Ju-just moved too quickly, no da."  Hôjun could barely move at all without hurting himself, and had to lie on his stomach all the time for obvious reasons.  Standing was completely out of the question.  Mitsukake had said that several vertebrae and ribs were in varying degrees of fracture, anywhere from cracked to almost crushed.

Hurried footsteps approached outside the door, along with the feeling of a very angry Hotohori.  Tasuki, though he didn't know which of the others it was, not having been trained to identify individual ki signatures, ran to the door and opened it.

"Heika-sama!" the bandit cried to the emperor a little ways down the hall.  "What's going on?"  Hotohori was holding two swords, and he didn't look happy in the slightest.

"Stay with Chichiri, Tasuki!" Hôjun heard Hotohori nearly shout.  "There is an intruder in the palace, and we do not know if he brought others with him!"

"Oi!" Tasuki called as Hotohori continued down the hall, disappearing around a corner.  "Damn it, he left," he swore, walking back in the room and closing the door again.  He'd been ordered to stay there, and Hotohori looked like he was about to kill anybody who disobeyed his orders.  He stopped in his tracks when he saw the Seishi on the bed.  "Chichiri!  What the hell's the matter with you?!"

Hôjun was shaking visibly, and a look of horror was on his face.  He knew perfectly well who that intruder was.  He could feel the strange ki that was and was not Tamahome.  The bloodlust flowing off the Seishi champion froze Hôjun straight to the bone, and he couldn't even lift his head off the pillow anymore.

He felt two battle auras blaze up brilliantly.  He heard the torrential rain outside his window near his bed.  He could feel the fury mixed with betrayal ricocheting between Tamahome and Hotohori in the pavilion.  It was all too similar.  _Hate…love…fighting…rain…betrayal…bloodlust…no!  Nonononono!  Stop it!  Stopstopstop!_  Memories were surfacing unchecked now, and he could remember every gruesome detail of that day six years ago.  He turned his face into the pillow and let the tears come.  _Hotohori-sama…Tamahome-kun…for Miaka-chan's sake, stop!  Please stop!_  His body was tensing up, his back protesting loudly but unnoticed.

"Oi!  Chichiri!" Tasuki gasped when he saw Hôjun.  "Get a hold of yourself!  What the hell is wrong?!?!?!"  He placed his hand on Hôjun's shoulder, and nearly shook him.  He stopped himself at the last minute, remembering Hôjun's injured back.  Nevertheless, the weeping mage cringed away from the touch.

"Ya-yamero!" Hôjun whimpered against the pillow.  "Get away from me!"  There was only one person who could touch him when he was like this without scaring him away, but she was far away, separated from him by a large mountain range and many miles of terrain.

Tamahome's ki suddenly shuddered from some life-threatening injury.  With it came shock and horror from Miaka and Hotohori, accompanied with a flurry of mixed emotion from Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko.  The mental onslaught slammed into Hôjun, causing him to tense impossibly, pulling something out of place in his back, forcing a near-howl from his throat.  The physical and spiritual pain combined with the mental hurricane of roiling emotions was just too much…

Tasuki's eyes widened as his wounded comrade suddenly pushed himself violently to his knees, eye wide and unseeing, mouth open and gasping, tears soaking his reddened cheeks.  "Shimatta!!!!!" he swore as Hôjun suddenly toppled over onto his back, nearly rolling off the edge onto the floor.  He jumped onto the bed and tried to get a hold of his suddenly writhing and screaming friend.  _Gods damn it!!!!!!!  What a time to have a seizure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_  "Chichiri!!!!!!  Stop it!!!!!!!  You're hurting yourself!!!!!!!!!!!"  The blue-haired mage heard nothing.

Hôjun's uncontrolled shrieking caught the attention of several guards that were nearby, and they suddenly burst through the door.  Tasuki looked over to them, nearly loosing his grip on the bucking Seishi.  "Get over here, damn it!!!!!!!!  Don't just look at me!!!!!!!!!!!"  A sharp pain stabbed through his hand.  "AH!!!!!!!!!!  DAMN IT, CHICHIRI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Hôjun had sunk his teeth, by either accident or design, into Tasuki's right hand, and he wasn't letting go.  Tasuki prayed to all the gods that his fellow Seishi was not rabid.  Blood dripped down Hôjun's chin, running down his neck and soaking into his shirt.

The guards rushed forward, galvanized into action by Tasuki's impossibly loud voice.  The grabbed onto Hôjun's arms, legs, torso, anything to keep him from flailing about like he was.  They managed to severely hamper the seizing in his body, reducing it to a violent quivering and a rock hard tenseness.  His body was trying.  The gods know his body was trying to get free, pulling with all its strength against the restraining hands.  The screaming continued as he finally relaxed his grip on Tasuki's hand, only now they were frantic and terrified, not mindless and agonized.

It seemed like forever before the maddened Seishi finally heaved up, almost taking Tasuki and the guards with him, then collapsed back on the bed, completely limp.  Tasuki could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he turned to the guards.

"Ge-get help!" he stammered, his voice choked.  "Get the nearest medic!"  They started to edge away, eying the man lying on the bed cautiously.  Hôjun wasn't even breathing hard.  "GO, YOU STUPID BASTARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tasuki exploded at them, jumping off the bed and making to attack.  The guards quickly fled, looking for a doctor.  Tasuki turned back to Hôjun, tears running down his face.  "Gods…Ho-how could this happen to you?!  How much more are you hurt now?!"  Hôjun was still alive, as testified by his slight breathing.  But…that may not last now.  Tasuki knelt down by the bed, laid his head on his arms folded on the edge of the mattress, and cried.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Well, his spine wasn't broken, thank Suzaku," Mitsukake said, putting his bandages and salves away.  "But, it is much more damaged now, having been twisted and bent like it was during the seizure.  And, his broken ribs were torn out of place again.  Judging by the sound of his breathing, they cut into his lungs, though apparently not too badly.  We can only hope they didn't get his heart, as well."

Miaka and her Seishi, including the now exorcized Tamahome, were gathered in Hôjun's room, all worried sick over him.  He lay again on his stomach in the bed, his face still and untroubled.  He had yet to wake up.

"Will…will Chichiri-san be all right?" Chiriko asked softly, clutching his flute in case Hôjun should wake up and be in pain.  He could do nothing to help at the moment, but perhaps he could calm the ailing mage if the occasion arose.  The kind-hearted fifteen-year-old had broken into tears when he saw Hôjun crumpled on the bed with Tasuki crying at the bedside.  He had come to love and respect Hôjun like the father he had lost years ago, and he was deathly afraid of losing his light-hearted companion.

"It seems like he'll be all right," Mitsukake assured him, and everyone in the room looked somewhat relieved.  "I'm guessing that he would be dead right now, but his Seishi nature has kept him alive.  It's about the same as with Tamahome.  He would have died on Hotohori-sama's sword if he didn't still have his Seishi powers buried inside of him."

Tamahome unconsciously put a hand to his abdomen over the already fading mark his emperor's sword had left and scowled, silently vowing to make Nakago pay dearly.  The damned shôgun's curse was what made him try to kill Miaka, Chichiri, and Hotohori in the first place.

"I can heal Chichiri no earlier than tomorrow, as I've already used my powers today for Tamahome," the healer went on.  "Then, if you want, I can heal that hand of yours the next day, Tasuki."

Tasuki looked down at the bandage Nuriko had wrapped around his right hand.  "Nah," he answered, a bit of his normal spice making its way into his voice again.  "This isn't bad enough to need it."

Mitsukake nodded and continued.  "I'd like at least a few of you to help me tomorrow.  I've never had to heal someone so badly injured, and it would help tremendously if some of you could transfer some of your ki to the healing."  Tamahome, Hotohori, Nuriko, Tasuki, and Chiriko immediately agreed.

"Ano," Chiriko said as he approached the bed as quietly as he could, as not to disturb Hôjun.  "I can play for him right now, even though he's not awake.  It may relax him a little."

"Good," Hotohori said kindly, laying a hand on the youngest Seishi's shoulder.  "You do that, Chiriko."  He turned to the others.  "Minna, let us leave them alone for now."

Everyone, save Chiriko, filed out of the room after casting one last glance at their still companion.  Chiriko sat lightly on the edge of Hôjun's bed and raised the flute to his lips, playing out a soft, comforting tune.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  I don't know what possessed me to make Hôjun start seizing like he did.  It was just a split second decision that I didn't really have time to think about until I had it typed.  For you yaoi supporters out there, Tasuki is NOT in love with Hôjun.  He's just worried sick over what he had just witnessed.  I'd cry, too, if one of me best friends just launched into a screaming fit with no warning.  And, yes, I know that grabbing onto somebody having a seizure is the dumbest thing you can do, and can end up hurting them and you, but they may not have known that at the time this takes place.  Anyway, send any comments that you have to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  I must say, this chapter was nothing like I intended it to be. *shrug*


	15. Bereaved

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Fifteen:  Bereaved 

They had failed.

Hôjun sat on the bank of one of the ponds dotting the palace grounds, his fishing line dangling in the water.  The attempt to summon Suzaku, just yesterday, had failed.

Why?  Because, they had been fooled into thinking a Seiryû Seishi was one of their own.

Hôjun remembered very little between facing Tamahome in Kutô-koku to a few hours before the summoning ceremony.  He had taken serious injury to his back, and the next day, had been stuck in his room when a possessed Tamahome came to the palace to kill Miaka.  All Hôjun remembered from Tamahome's coming was a feeling of dread and repressed pain.  After that, it was just an agonized blur…

He had been told, by a hesitant Tasuki, that he had broken down into tears for reasons unknown to the fire-headed Seishi, and had started seizing a moment later.  His back and ribs had taken substantially more damage during the seizure, which explained the coma he had fallen into until Mitsukake had the chance to heal him up, but the reason for the seizure was a mystery.  Hôjun vaguely remembered an onrush of unwanted memories, then blackness.  The next thing he knew was the warm healing spell washing over him as his fellow Seishi worked his magic on him.

He had woken up to everyone in his room, Mitsukake just having finished the healing, and was indescribably relieved upon learning that their champion had been restored to his original money-grubbing self.  He thought everything would go smoothly after that, for the summoning had been only a few hours away.  Indeed, everybody thought that.

But, during the ceremony, just after the exquisitely dressed Miko threw Kônan-koku's _Shi Jin Tenchi Sho_ into the ceremonial fire, the unexpected lilt of a flute broke the confused silence resulting from the absence of the expected Phoenix God.  Everyone had turned their eyes to Chiriko, the youngest of the group, and found that they had been tricked in the most malicious way.  Chiriko was Amiboshi, a Seiryû Seishi sent from Kutô-koku to assassinate them and prevent Suzaku's coming.  Before anyone had been able to react, a head splitting screeching filled the air from the young man's flute, and Hôjun would have fallen prey to the murderous music—as the rest of them nearly did—had it not been for a young boy disrupting the notes with a grass harp.  As his thoughts cleared, he remembered Tamahome and Tasuki running after Amiboshi out of the shrine, then Miaka nearly tearing the sleeves off his tunic as she shook him, yelling at him to take her to them.  They had teleported to the riverbank—landing right on Tasuki—just in time to see Amiboshi fall over the edge to the rushing waters below.

Hôjun felt genuine sorrow for the boy's death.  He had shown himself to be a very kind and honest young man (except for the deceiving them into thinking he was a Suzaku Seishi part), and everyone loved his music and his good humor.  Besides, if he really wanted to kill them, he wouldn't have run when he did.  He would have tried again.  The look on Amiboshi's face as he fell to the river was Hôjun's personal proof that he really meant them no harm.  He seemed to be saying, _I'm sorry.  I'm really, really sorry._

He had just been following orders, no doubt from the blond shôgun.  And, following those orders cost him his life.  Hôjun couldn't convey in words just how tragic the boy's premature death struck him as.

They had learned upon returning that the boy who saved them from Amiboshi's music was none other than the _real_ Chiriko, but unfortunately, they could no longer summon Suzaku, due to the scroll being burnt to ashes.  After a rather heart-stopping appearance by Taiitsukun, the Suzaku Seishi had gotten a boost in their powers, for they were to go to Hokkan-koku to get the Shinzahô of Genbu to summon their god.

Now, Hôjun wanted time to just sit and fish and think about stuff.  He really hadn't much time lately to just let the world go by without him like he sometimes liked to do.  His mind kept drifting back home, to his wife and children, to the familiar surroundings of the Shôryû Valley.  He just couldn't describe how much he wanted to see them again.

A familiar presence came into his consciousness.  Miaka was behind him, and she seemed to be watching the fishing line in the water.  After a minute, she sat down beside him.

"Ne, Chichiri?" she asked.  "Are there any fish in this pond?"

"Who knows, no da?" he answered, with a slight shrug of his shoulders.  The Miko didn't seem to have a response to that.

"Ano…Chichiri?" she asked again.  "Um…why do you wear that mask of yours all the time?"

Hôjun had certainly not expected _that_ to pop out of Miaka's mouth.  He turned his head to look at her, no words coming to mind to answer her question with.

"Oh!" the Miko squeaked.  "Gomen nasai!  If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to!"

"Iie, no da," he said quietly.  "You've asked the question, no da.  I guess you have a right to know, no da.  I probably shouldn't keep secrets like this from my friends, anyway, no da.  I just can't bring myself to tell them on my own, no da."  He took a deep breath, summoning up the courage to recount the horrible events that nearly brought his life, and his soul, to ruin.  "Six years ago, soon after my eighteenth birthday, I was engaged to a young lady named Kôran, no da.  She loved me very much, and I loved her back at least as deeply, no da.  But, my best friend, Hikô, had fallen in love with her as well, no da.  The…the day before our wedding was to be, I…I saw them…"  He had to break off for a minute, composing himself.  "I found them by the riverbanks of the Shôryû River, which ran near the village, kissing."  He stopped, swallowing hard.  Beside him, Miaka gasped softly, realizing the pain he must have gone through.  He continued, trying to keep his voice steady.  "I…I was horrified.  To see the one you're ready to swear your very soul to in another's arms…I just can't even begin to describe it.  I went to her house the next morning, to see if it had all been a horrible nightmare, and she…she rejected me.  She said she couldn't marry me anymore.  I…I totally lost it.  I didn't take my anger out on her…I could never hurt her, even in a fit of rage.  Instead, I went to my house, found my father's hunting knives, and…"  He stopped again, trying to keep back tears summoned by the awful memories.  He raised his hand.  "With this hand…I killed my best friend."

Miaka was stunned.  To have her most gentle and kind-hearted Seishi confess such an atrocity was shocking, to say the least.  This man sitting beside her…he never seemed to have such a dark secret before!  Just how much had he gone through to keep it a secret from everybody?!

"I got this scar in the fight," Hôjun continued, removing his mask and pointing to the jagged mark on his face.  "I didn't stab Hikô like I intended, but shoved him into the river.  I knew very well he couldn't swim, but I pushed him anyway.  When I got home, I found my entire village gone.  There had been torrential rains lately, and the river suddenly flooded the valley, washing away the entire town.  My…my mother, father, and older brother were killed.  My younger sister and I were the only Ris to survive.  Kôran had also been spared, and…she wouldn't believe I had killed Hikô.  She kept insisting it must have been an accident.  I…I want so much to believe that.  You don't know how horrified and ashamed of myself I was for killing Hikô when I realized what I had done.  But…I know I am responsible.  I can never write something like that off as just an accident.  If I hadn't gone after him in the first place, he would never have…"

Miaka put a hand on Hôjun's trembling shoulder, trying to comfort him.  He seemed ready to cry, but no tears fell.  He absolutely refused to cry in front of the Miko.

"Anyway," Hôjun continued, calming down, "Kôran and I were married about a month later, and we now have a five-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son, no da."  He replaced his mask and his high falsetto.

"Hontô ni?!" Miaka squealed.  "I'd love to see them sometime!  I bet they're just so kawaii!  And, I want to meet your wife, too!  Is she pretty?"

Hôjun smiled wistfully.  "She's absolutely gorgeous, no da."

"Miaka!" Nuriko could be heard calling from the palace walkway.  "Miaka-akachan aka mamushi!"  The purple-haired transvestite seemed fond of making odd rhymes of Miaka's name, judging by the gleeful tone in which he sang the unexpected little jingle.

"Hai!" Miaka called back, getting up, bidding Hôjun goodbye, and heading off toward Nuriko.  Hôjun watched her go until a small tug vibrated up his fishing line.

"Da!" Hôjun peeped as he reeled the tiny fish, hardly as big as his finger, in.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day had come, and one of Hotohori's ships was being prepared for the journey to Hokkan-koku.  Miaka and all her Seishi, save Hotohori, were going.  The emperor had to stay behind, as he had duties to his country.

Hôjun watched in amusement as Tamahome teased Tasuki about being afraid of the water, and started laughing as the Seishi leader picked the bandit up and hung him over the edge of the dock.

The ship was to sail in five days, and they were just starting to get it ready for the voyage.  Hôjun helped them patch up a weakness some of the workers found in the hull, for he had nothing else to do at the time.  Most of the other Seishi were milling around, lending a hand here and there, Hotohori presiding over everything with the harbormaster.

"Oi!  Chichiri!" he heard Miaka call for him a few minutes after the hull was fixed.  She and Tamahome had been talking to Hotohori.

"Hai, Miaka-chan, no da?" he asked as he walked up.

"Tamahome and I are going to bring his family here to the palace, to keep them safe from the attacks on the villages near the border," Miaka explained.  "It's five days till we leave, so why don't you visit your wife and kids?  You seemed to miss them so much when you told me about them yesterday.  It shown in your face."

Hôjun blinked.  He hadn't really expected that to be mentioned.  But, now that he thought about it, it was the perfect time to go see them.

"Nani?!" Tasuki squawked from a little ways away.  "Chichiri's got a wife and kids?!"  Apparently, Hôjun hadn't told anyone but Miaka about that.  They ignored Tasuki for the moment.

"Hotohori?  Can he go?" Miaka asked, giving the emperor Bambi eyes.

"Why, yes, of course," Hotohori answered, backing a little away from Miaka.  He didn't want her glomping him again like she had when he suggested Tamahome bring his family to the palace.  "We still have five days until you leave.  You should go visit your family while you can.  I am sure they miss you."

"Hai, no da," Hôjun replied.  "I miss them as well, no da."  He bowed to his emperor.  "Arigatô gozaimasu, Heika-sama, no da!"

A little while later, when he was sure all the woodwork in the ship was fine, he said his goodbyes and disappeared into his kasa.  He reappeared on a hilltop to the south of Shôryû.  There was a spray of trees between him and the village, but he looked forward to walking through familiar forest again.

As he got into the trees, he became aware of the sound of playing.  Walking a little longer, he came across a bunch of children playing tag, watched over by a girl, about fifteen years old, a sister to two of the children.

"Tôsan!" Tori called, spying her father coming toward them.  She broke out of the group and ran toward him, jumping into his arms.  "You're back!"

"Yes, for a few days, Tori-chan, no da," Hôjun said, squeezing his daughter tight.

"Ohayô, Ri-sama," the fifteen-year-old said, coming over.

"Ohayô, Jôhin, no da," he replied, giving her a smile.  Jôhin was a friend of Hanabira's.  He turned to his daughter.  "Why don't you run home and tell Kâsan that someone's come to visit for a few days, but don't tell her who it is, no da.  Let me surprise her, no da."

"Hai!" the little girl squealed, jumping out of his arms and running toward home.

"So, how is everything, Jôhin-chan, no da?" Hôjun asked the girl as Tori ran down the hill.

"Well…" the girl hesitated to answer, as if something was wrong.  "I think you should see for yourself when you get home, Sir."

"What do you mean, no da?" Hôjun asked, feeling a little nervous.  "Has something happened, no da?"  Fear clutched his chest.  "Are my wife and son all right, no da?!"  He had seen his daughter, but how were his wife and son?

"They're fine, Ri-sama," Jôhin assured him.  "I think you should go now.  Your wife is waiting for you, Sir."

Hôjun waited for a few seconds more, then began walking toward the town.  _Kuso, no da_, he thought, a little annoyed.  _I wish Jôhin wasn't so hesitant to just come out and deliver bad news, no da._

As he neared town, people on the outskirts greeted him warmly.  He was a well-respected member of the community, and they were glad to have him back.  Soon, he got to his house, which was near the edge of town, closest to the forest to get wood for his business.  He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

There she was.  She was kneeling at the table, sewing shut a hole that had been ripped in one of Seiryoku's tiny little tunics.  Her back was mostly turned toward him, and she was unaware of his presence.  Tori could be heard playing with little Seiryoku in the next room.

Hôjun removed his mask, his heart aching at the sight.  She was beautiful, a goddess in his eyes.  He had gone too long without laying eyes or hands on her.  What he could see of her face was laced with sorrow, her loneliness without him making its mark on her flawless features.

Without further hesitation, he slipped up behind her, kneeled down, and wrapped his arms tight around her, pressing a kiss to her neck.  "Beautiful, no da," he murmured against her skin.  "Completely stunning, no da."

She stiffened for an instant as his arms tightened around her, but relaxed completely when she heard his voice.  "Hôjun!" she gasped.  "It's you!"

"Yes, it's me, no da," he purred, nuzzling her cheek.  "I have four days, no da.  We are to leave for Hokkan-koku in five, no da."

"Hokkan-koku?" she wondered, leaning into his embrace.  "Why there?"

"I'll explain later, no da," he replied.  "Just let me hold you right now, no da."

She turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his chest, breathing him in.  Yes, she belonged with him, just like this.  After a while, though, an urgent bit of news just couldn't be ignored anymore.

"Hôjun," she began, separating from him enough to look him in the face.  "Something bad has happened.  Very bad."

"Nani, no da?" he inquired.  "Jôhin was implying something bad, no da.  What's happened, no da?"  Nervousness was rising in his chest again.

"I think you should come with me, Love," she said, rising to her feet.  She slipped on her shoes by the door and led him to a house not far away.

"This is…Yûkan's house, no da," he said, speaking the name of his imôto's fiancé.  The house seemed very quiet, and the nervousness grew a little more.  He stepped up to the door as Kôran knocked.

Yûkan's mother was surprised to see him.  "Ah!  Ohayô, Ri-sama!  Ri-san!  Please, come inside!"

"How is she, Bi-san?" Kôran asked as they entered.

"Oh, she's just getting worse, Ri-san," the woman answered sadly.  She turned to Hôjun.  "Your imôto is very ill, Ri-sama."

Hôjun stopped in his tracks.  "Hanabira, no da?!" he exclaimed.  "Where is she, no da?!"  He ran into the room the Bi matriarch pointed to and skidded to a halt, shocked.  His lovely sixteen-year-old imôto lay on the bed, clearly ill within an inch of her life.

"Imôto-chan, no da!" he choked, falling to his knees by the bed.  "What happened to you, no da?!"

The girl opened her eyes slightly, turning her head to look upon her brother.  That simple action seemed to cost her a great deal of strength.  She tried to say something, but only succeeded in a pitiful moan.

"My dear Yûkan has died," Bi-san said, her voice greatly pained.  "He had some mysterious disease that the town medic has only seen three times before.  Sweet little Hanabira looked after him until the moment he died, the poor thing.  She tired herself out."  The woman stopped to wipe a tear from her eye.  "The disease is hardly contagious at all, so there wasn't much worry over that, but…your darling sister got sick with it the very day he died."  She wiped more tears away.  "Her grief over Yûkan's death is only making it kill her faster!  They were to be married in a month.  And…there's no way to cure this disease, Ri-sama."

_No cure!_ Hôjun thought miserably.  _Oh, Suzaku, why her?!_  "Hanabira!" he cried, clutching at her fevered hand.  "Why you?!  Why you?!"  Tears were sliding down his face, dripping to the floor below.  "It's not fair!" he whined, wishing to the gods he could save his imôto.  She had done nothing wrong in her life!  She was too young to die!

"Ani…ki…" Hanabira croaked, and he nearly cried aloud, for there was nothing left of her former bouncy tone.  "Suki…da yo…"  She closed her eyes, the last thing she saw being her aniki, and suddenly relaxed completely.

She was dead.

Hôjun stared dumbly for a minute.  Her ki…it just…disappeared.  Then…

"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hôjun howled, letting go of his sister's hand and slamming his fists down on the bed.  His fingers dug into the bedding, ripping through it like paper.  "Hanabira!  Come back to us!  Come back to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He would have collapsed backward if his wife hadn't been there, her arms around his waist, supporting his sagging frame.  _Another gone!_ he screamed mentally.  _Another of my family, gone!!!!!  Oh, Suzaku, WHY?!?!?!?!_

He crushed his wife to him, as if afraid he would lose her, too, and wept bitterly against her shoulder.  She was dead…Ri Hanabira was dead, gone away from her home, her loved ones…

And, she would never come back again.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Yes, I know I'm being mean to my little Chichiri-chan again.  Please don't hurt me!  It's just that life was so much more uncertain then as it is now.  Just be glad I didn't do anything to his wife and kids!  That would have _really_ messed him up bad.  During his talk with Miaka by the pond, I left the "no da" out intentionally.  And, yes, I know it didn't really take five days to prepare the ship for Hokkan-koku, but I stretched it out to give Hôjun time to visit home.  Anyway, send anything you have to say to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  Please don't flame me for killing Hanabira, though!  I apologize in advance, so you don't have to!


	16. War

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Sixteen:  War 

Hôjun lay in bed staring up at the ceiling.  Kônan-koku and Kutô-koku were at war.  Suzaku had been sealed.  The Suzaku Shichi Seishi were powerless.  Miaka had disappeared.  Tamahome had disappeared.  Nuriko was dead.  Chiriko was dead.  Mitsukake was injured very badly.  Hotohori was fighting personally, and was likely to get himself killed.  The Kônan-koku army was hopelessly outnumbered.  Empress Hôki was pregnant, and worrying over the emperor's welfare on the battlefield was just making her and the unborn baby sick.

Basically, life had gone to Hell in a hand basket, in Hôjun's opinion.

Really, the only thing good that had happened lately was the arrival of Tasuki's Reikaku-zan bandits that afternoon, led by the fire Seishi's best friend.  Hôjun couldn't remember exactly, but he thought he heard Tasuki yelling the name "Kôji!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", then doing a funny little dance with the scarred young newcomer.  It had taken everyone completely by surprise.  Still, it wasn't nearly enough to even the odds between the armies.

He couldn't help but turn his thoughts toward home.  Were his wife and children all right?  Was the war affecting Shôryû much?  Were they far enough away from the border with Kutô-koku to keep the Kutô-koku soldiers from coming across it and invading?  So many questions were constantly going through his head lately.  He had lost his imôto several months back to some mysterious illness.  He couldn't bear the possibility of losing anybody else dear to him.  The losses of Nuriko and Chiriko had strained his morale in this whole Seishi deal, and if he was to lose his wife or either of his children while he was away and couldn't protect them, he was almost sure he would lose all desire to continue his duty as a Seishi as well.

_Suzaku…Byakko…Genbu…anyone who's listening…please keep them safe, no da!_  He kept repeating that little prayer throughout the day for a few weeks now.  It was becoming as automatic as breathing.

He heard his stomach complain from lack of adequate food.  Food was being conserved as much as possible, so rations were slim, but he wasn't eating much of what he got, either.  He knew his body was hungry, but his appetite had been absent for some time now.  In the past few months, he had lost a lot of weight, and he wasn't that heavy to begin with.  He was toned and muscular, but slender.  His body was starting to cannibalize his muscle tissue, which was very bad during something such as war, where he had to be as fit as possible.  Still, he couldn't bring himself to eat much.

He wasn't getting very much sleep lately, either.  He spent most of every night staring up at the ceiling like he was at the moment, his head running with thoughts and worries.

He sighed.  _Everything just seems more and more hopeless every day, no da_, he thought gloomily.  _Is there any way we could win this war, no da?_

He rolled over onto his side, a single tear sliding down his cheek.  _Kôran…if I don't return to you…know how much I love you._  His magic was gone, so he couldn't contact anyone telepathically anymore—he wouldn't be able to contact Kôran anyway, due to the distance between them—but he hoped against logic that she would hear him.  He closed his eye, and finally dropped off into an uneasy sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In a smallish town next to a mighty river, a young woman woke up suddenly.  She had just dreamed a dream that lasted only a few seconds, but left her in shock just the same.  In it, she saw her husband, looking slightly ill, lying in a bed, a single tear sliding down his cheek.  She distinctly heard his voice, though his lips were not moving.  _Kôran…if I don't return to you…know how much I love you._

She dropped back to sleep a few minutes later, wondering if it had been a dream at all.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hôjun sat on the ground, taking a rest.  He wasn't much of a fighter, so the emperor had told him to help Mitsukake and the other doctors with the sick and the wounded.  Part of the time, he took care of them.  Part of the time, he protected them.  There was always the threat of Kutô-koku soldiers coming across the makeshift hospital and attacking, and there had to be guards.  Hôjun had been given a sword and two knives, but he wasn't very comfortable with them.  He didn't like the idea of killing, and he had gotten a sick feeling in his stomach and his heart when he had to personally kill a few days ago.  He witnessed a lone Kutô-koku soldier attacking three little siblings, and had to fight to save them.  It was half luck, but he had managed to get his sword through the soldier's chest, killing him almost instantly.  Tasuki and Kôji had found him a few minutes later, kneeling next to the body with a look of disgust and horror on his face.

He got up, adjusting the sword at his belt and heading back toward where Mitsukake was with the newly named Tama-neko.  Miaka had told the healer that "Tama" was the perfect name for the little cat—heretofore unnamed—and the cat had taken a liking to it, apparently.  It responded every time that name was said.

"Mitsukake, no da," Hôjun said, approaching the healer.  "Is there anybody new here, no da?"

"No," Mitsukake replied.  "Not for about half an hour, anyway."  He glanced up at Hôjun.  "You look awful.  Are you all right?"

"No, no da," Hôjun said.  "I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm sick of this whole damned war, no da.  I'm basically like everyone else in Kônan-koku, no da.  You don't look so good, either, no da."  He sat down near Mitsukake and took a short drink from a ladle in the nearby bucket of drinking water.  "Do think it'll be over anytime soon, no da?"

"I don't know," Mitsukake said, finishing replacing a bandage on someone shot through the arm with an arrow.  "I hate to say it, but we will probably come out on the short end of it."

Hôjun said nothing.

"Soldiers!!!!!!!!!!!!" came a cry from a little ways away.  "Kutô-koku soldiers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Hôjun jumped up.  "Shimatta, no da!  Those damned soldiers can go to Hell, for all I care, no da!"  He ran back to were he was a few minutes ago.  Sure enough, there were about four Kutô-koku soldiers, looking a little lost, not far away.  But, as soon as they saw Hôjun with two other guards, they drew their weapons and moved in to attack.  Hôjun, tired as he was, did the same.

_There is one more of them than of us, no da_, he thought.  _Please don't let that make much of a difference, no da!_  Just at that moment, he and the other guards met with the Kutô-koku soldiers.  The other two guards were two of Tasuki's bandits, and most likely more skilled with the sword than Hôjun.  He hoped the soldiers wouldn't be too much for the bandits, because they'd be impossible to beat for Hôjun if they were.

His sword was almost knocked out of his hand, the soldier's first blow was so hard.  Hôjun tightened his grip and gritted his teeth, determined not to lose.  This Kutô-koku bastard wouldn't get away from here alive!

He checked himself.  He didn't want to kill if he didn't have to.  Still…this fight would probably end with one of them dead.

He found himself being driven back.  The soldier had much more experience than the powerless Seishi.  Hôjun had to put all his effort into defending, and his already sapped strength was quickly wearing out.  It wasn't long before his vision started to get blurry.

_Oh, Suzaku_, he thought hopelessly.  _I'm done for._  That thought was barely through his mind before he felt a sharp pain in his sword arm.  The soldier had slashed a shallow but long gash in his lower arm, making him drop his weapon.  He cried out and clutched the wound, feeling the blood run through his fingers.  He collapsed to the ground, black spots starting in his vision.  The soldier brought his weapon down toward his neck…

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A young man's voice screamed out not far behind the soldier.  Suddenly, the soldier's arm was separated from his body, it and the sword dropping harmlessly to the ground.  The soldier's cry of pain ended in a gurgle as a sword blade passed through his chest from behind.  The now lifeless body dropped to the side.

It was Kôji.  He and several Reikaku-zan bandits were returning from a skirmish not too far off.  Hôjun saw through a haze of exhaustion that Tasuki was running up behind Kôji, along with several of his bandits.  There was genuine fear in Tasuki's eyes.

"Chichiri!  Daijôbu?!" Tasuki almost screamed, dropping to his knees next to Hôjun.  Fatigue and blood loss was taking its toll, and Hôjun couldn't answer coherently.  Tasuki wasted no time in picking him up and running into the "hospital."

"Doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tasuki screamed to any doctor near enough to hear.  Hôjun felt himself set down on the ground, Tasuki's arm supporting him in a half-sitting position.  He looked up and saw a young doctor he had become acquainted with start to cut his sleeve open to get to the wound.

"Shôka…"

Hôjun looked over and beheld Mitsukake, holding a little baby.  The baby looked very sick, and may not be able to survive.  The little girl's parents were kneeling nearby, obviously very anxious.  The look in Mitsukake's eyes…

Hôjun got a distinct feeling that something terrible was about to happen.  He gathered all his remaining strength, heaving himself to his feet, ignoring protests from Tasuki, Kôji, and the young doctor.  He staggered over to Mitsukake, who was hugging the baby to his chest, concentrating on something.  Hôjun dropped to his knees next to the healer.

"Mitsukake…?  Wha…what are you—"  He stopped when the healer glanced up at him, a look of "Farewell" in his eyes, and suddenly relaxed.  _Oh…Suzaku…_

He felt nothing like when Nuriko and Chiriko died.  There was no deep, gripping cold, no sense of dread leading up to the cold…nothing.  The seal on their powers made it impossible to even sense when one of their own died.

"D-dead…" he murmured.  His mask slipped off his face, and tears could be seen making their way down his cheeks.  There were gasps of shock from the baby's parents and the young doctor, a sharp hiss of surprise from Kôji, and a choked sob from Tasuki.  Another one gone.  Three Seishi dead, and one missing.

Hôjun's eye suddenly rolled up into his head, and he fainted dead away.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  *sigh*  Well…things are going mighty pissy for Chichiri and the others.  War does that.  I'm pretty antiwar, so I didn't glorify the war in this chapter at all.  Oh, and Mitsukake's death was based on the manga, not the anime, so his energy only went to little baby Shôka, not the whole crowd.  Just thought I'd clarify that point.  Anyway, did I do well on this chapter?  Please let me know.  Comments and stuff can go to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	17. Homecoming

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Seventeen:  Homecoming 

Hôjun reappeared above the town of Shôryû on the same hill he had appeared on the last time he came.  The spray of trees between the town and him were getting a little red and brown, what with autumn coming.

As he walked to the town, he couldn't help but think about all that had happened.  It took the lives of Nuriko, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Hotohori-sama, and nearly Tamahome, but they won the war.  Suzaku had been summoned, and Kônan-koku was at peace again.  Miaka-chan and Seiryû no Miko were back in their world were they belonged.  Kutô-koku's horrible dynasty had fallen, making way for a new, hopefully better, one.  Hôjun was done for now with his Seishi duties, and he was grateful for that.  It meant he was finally able to come back home.

However, he was not the same man who had left.  Witnessing the deaths of four other Suzaku Seishi, as well as experiencing a horrible war left its mark on him.  He had a darkness in the back of his eye now, and it would probably never go away.

He also remembered Tasuki's farewell to him.  The young bandit had always been much more forward with his emotions than Hôjun, and as they said their goodbyes to each other, Tasuki had started crying.  Not just because of their parting ways, but for all that had happened.  For Nuriko, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Hotohori-sama.  For all the men, women, and children who had suffered because of the whole conflict.  True, it all turned out as good as possible in the end, but that didn't atone for all they had done.  Yes, the Suzaku Seishi were at fault for it as much as the Seiryû Seishi, in many ways.

He was nearing the outskirts of the village.  People greeted him and welcomed him back, and he responded in kind, but his heart was set on only one thing:  finally returning to his wife and children.  He had not seen them in months, and his soul was aching to be near them again.  They may have no idea about whether he was alive or not.  He had heard back in the palace that the news of four dead Seishi was spreading throughout the empire, but it wasn't known by most of the public just which four they were, besides the emperor.

He found himself in front of his house.  It was quiet inside, but he could feel the familiar sensation of Kôran and the children being near.  They seemed fine, but a depression had settled over them, especially Kôran.  Without further ado, he walked through the door.

The front room was empty.  A small incense burner was smoldering on the low table, so someone had been in there recently.  He could hear the muffled sounds of Tori and Seiryoku through the closed door to their room.  The door to his and Kôran's bedroom was open a crack, and the distinct feeling of his wife's ki was undoubtedly in there.

He quietly walked to the door.  It opened almost soundlessly, and he finally saw her.  She was kneeling on the bed, looking out the window at the setting sun.  She had a lonely look on her face, and sadness was shining clearly in her eyes.  She sighed.

He was stricken by the sight.  He knew she would be downcast when he returned, but the depth of it written on her beautiful visage was shocking.  It looked like she would fade away any minute.

"Kôran," he whispered, his mask pulled from his face.  He dropped it to the floor and took a step toward her as she turned around.  She looked at him, a stunned expression taking hold of her.  Then, she slowly got off the bed and stood to face him, emotions suddenly flashing through her eyes.

"Hôjun," she murmured, as if disbelieving.  She took one step forward, her hand lifting shakily out to him, her breath suddenly ragged.  She suddenly threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tight around him and burying her face in the folds of his tunic.  "Hôjun!  Hôjun!"  Tears were flowing freely from her eyes, dampening his clothes.  "Oh, Suzaku, you don't know how worried I was about you!  I heard that three other Seishi besides the emperor had died, but no one could tell me if you were one of them!  I was so frightened you wouldn't come back to me!"

"Kôran," he whispered again, holding her tight to him.  "I'm here.  Everything's all right now.  Shhhhhh.  Don't cry."  Tears were making their way down his face as well, dropping into her long, loose hair.  He clutched her to him, a sudden possessiveness taking over.  Nothing would take her away from him again.  He'd condemn to Hell's mercy anyone who tried.  He buried his face in her thick, soft hair, breathing in her scent.  Oh, gods, he had been much too long apart from her.

He gently placed a hand beneath her chin and tilted her head up to look at him.  She looked up at him adoringly, a loving smile on her beautiful mouth.  A small gasp made its way from her lips as he suddenly and forcefully claimed them with his own, tightening his hold on her until she squirmed in an attempt to make him loosen his grip.  All feminine modesty left her as she brazenly pressed herself against him, winding her arms around his neck and purring her pleasure against his mouth.  Her hands buried themselves in his hair, pressing his lips more firmly to hers.  It was all too obvious what she wanted, right then and there.

He managed to wrench himself out of that kiss.  "No," he rasped, his voice thick with desire.  "Not now, Love.  Later.  Tonight."

She moaned an incoherent protest and reached for the sash holding his tunic closed.  He firmly but gently intercepted her hands as they got the knot half loosened.

"Naughty, no da," he laughed, tapping her on the nose.  "You're so shy otherwise, no da.  How is that possible, no da?"

"Mmm.  I don't know," she answered, calming down.  "You just have that effect on me, I guess."  She straightened and tightened the knot in his sash.  "You always had more control than me when it comes to this, Hôjun.  And, I'm so reserved otherwise."

He grinned.  "We all have our quirks, Darling, no da.  Now, I should go greet the children, no da."  They walked out of their room into the children's room, Kôran still attached firmly to his arm.

"Tôsan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tori squealed when she saw him, launching herself at him and latching her arms around his waist.  She almost knocked him down, and he had to grab the doorframe to keep from falling.  "You're back!  You're back!  You're back!"

"Yes, Tori-chan, I'm back, no da," he laughed, hugging her back.  _You're so much like you're aunt was, no da._

Seiryoku stood a little ways away.  He was nearly two, and could stand on his own now.  He had a confused look on his face, for he didn't recognize the man his sister was falling all over herself to get to.  His mother walked over and knelt behind him.  She pointed to the blue-haired man.

"Seiryoku-chan," she said in that tone that always meant something good had happened.  "This is your father, little one.  Go see him.  He misses you so much."

The little boy stared at the newcomer.  He had a vague idea that this man called his father was someone important, and Nêsan certainly liked him a lot.  The man knelt down where he was, Nêsan's arms wrapped around his neck.  The man smiled and held his arms out to the boy.

"C'mon, Sei-chan!" Nêsan crowed.

The little boy finally grinned his little baby grin, and walked—shakily, as he was still learning—to his father.  He let himself be picked up and hugged tightly to his father's chest.

"I missed you, my son," the man whispered.  "You've grown so much since I last saw you."

Hôjun shifted his son to one arm and beckoned to his wife, who came over and let herself be gathered to him as well.  His daughter moved down from his neck and squeezed herself in, too.

_Yes_, Hôjun thought, holding his family tight.  _This is Heaven._

He had finally come home.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Yay!  Hôjun's back where he belongs!  I know he deserves it, so I made this chapter all fluffy.  Yeah, there's some definite sexual reference for a bit there, but not too graphic, I hope.  I don't think I'm ready to be writing lemons yet.  Besides, if my parents found something like that saved on the computer—I save all the fanfics I write, of course—they'd kill me.  Anyway, how'd this turn out?  Let me know at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	18. Sorrow

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation (is anyone still reading this line?).

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Eighteen:  Sorrow 

Kôran woke to warmth surrounding her on all sides.  She opened her eyes and beheld her dear husband, his eye closed in sleep.  She smiled.  He was back home.

They lay on their sides, their arms wrapped tight around one another.  Last night was the first night they had had together for a long time.  She gently pushed him onto his back and lay back down, her head resting on his bare chest.  He sighed in his sleep and tightened his hold on her.  Tama-neko, the small white cat that had come home with him, mewed and pawed at her face, for the movement had woken it up.  She smiled and scratched the cat behind the ears.

Finally.  Finally, the war with Kutô-koku was over.  Kônan-koku had won, and Kutô-koku had been released from the tyranny that had ruled it for so long.  But, most important of all, she thought, she had her husband back, and her children had their father back.  She wouldn't have cared if Kônan-koku won the war or not.  She had only wished her dear Hôjun returned to her safely.

She stroked softly along his upper arm.  He had some new scars, and he was much thinner than she remembered.  He didn't look sickly, but the war and the turbulent happenings he encountered during his Seishi duties had definitely taken their toll on him.  Now, he looked much like he did as an adolescent before his body grew into his arms and legs.  He reminded her of a gangly, clumsy kid.

His hair was longer now, too.  He had apparently, and understandably, forgotten to cut it while he was away, and it now reached almost past his waist.  His fringe of bangs fell over his face, too long to stand up much anymore.  He said that he'd probably cut his hair back to normal length within the next couple of days.  She ran her hand through the feather-soft strands.  Maybe she could convince him to leave it like it was.

"Mmm…" he moaned.  He was starting to wake, his body beginning to unconsciously stretch itself as his brain woke up.  She stayed atop him, her arms wrapped around his waist.  She shivered slightly as his bare skin moved against hers, bringing memories of the previous night to vivid recall.  They had really been too long apart from each other.

"Kôran…?" he murmured, sitting up.  She pushed herself up as well, letting him rise.  He gently cupped her face in his hands, leaning forward and pressing their lips together insistently.  When they separated, he cradled her tenderly against his chest, his fingers combing through her hair.  "It feels so good to be back in your arms, my love."

Kôran only sighed in response, burrowing deeper into his embrace, tangling her own fingers in the sky-blue silk falling down his back.

"Kâsan?" they heard through the door.  It was Tori.  "Sei-chan's kinda cranky."  She had learned quite a while ago that she was never to walk into her parents' room without being told she could first.  Luckily, she was pretty fast on the uptake, and never disobeyed that particular rule.

Kôran sighed, disengaged herself from Hôjun, and got up to put some clothes on.  Her husband followed suit.

About an hour and a half later, breakfast having been made and eaten, and the children happily playing with some friends across the street, Hôjun and Kôran were alone again.  Kôran had been debating for quite a while as to whether she should ask about what happened while Hôjun was away, or wait for him to bring it up himself.  She knew he had been through Hell and back, for the darkness in the back of his eye hadn't escaped her notice, and she didn't want to upset him so soon after coming back home.  She was so wrapped up in her internal debate at the moment, that she didn't notice that Hôjun had gotten up from the table, and was now staring blankly out the window.  When she did, his silence and his stiff-as-a-board posture worried her.

"Hôjun?" she questioned, laying a hand on his back.  "Daijôbu?"  Tama-neko mewed at him, climbing up onto his shoulder.

He suddenly relaxed and looked at her, a smile on his face.  "Hai, Kôran, no da.  I was just thinking about stuff, no da."

"Is it something you want to talk about?" she asked.

His smile faltered.  "Iie, no da.  I'm fine, no da.  Nothing to worry about, no da."

Kôran was less than convinced.  She knew him to be in the habit of suppressing immense emotional pain to the point of it being almost undetectable, and his behavior right now told her that his good mood was just a front.  Still, she did not press him.  If he was in some kind of emotional turmoil, the worst thing she could do was force him to admit it.  It just might cause him to break down.

Her desire to know just what had happened to him just wouldn't leave her alone.  Around midday, however, her suspicions were confirmed in a most drastic fashion.

She and Hôjun were in a tailor shop, talking to the owner.  They were quite well acquainted with the man, and had come by so Hôjun could say hello after being gone so long.  The tailor had asked Kôran how her children were doing, and Hôjun had left the conversation for a moment, and was at the moment looking randomly around the store (with Tama-neko perched on his shoulder still), when Kôran suddenly heard his distressed voice.

"K-Ko-Kôran…" he stuttered, stumbling up to the counter.  "Th-there's s-something wr-wrong with m-me…"  With that, he suddenly fell to his knees, breathing hard.  Kôran cried out in dismay and dropped down beside him, supporting him as he was about to fall completely to the floor.  He was sweaty and trembling.  His breath came in short, ragged gasps, and his eye was glazed over.

The tailor immediately ran to the door of his shop, hollering for a medic.  He came back inside once he knew one was coming, and knelt down to Hôjun, who was now laying on his back on the floor.  The other customers in the shop, who were four in number, where gathered around, helping in any way the could, which wasn't much.  Hôjun was no better than he was when he collapsed; if anything, he was worse.  Kôran knelt by his head, stroking his cheek, whispering reassurances.  She was very nearly in tears.  This was completely unexpected.  The cat sat on her lap, clearly agitated as well.

A medic finally came into the shop, took one look at him, and immediately declared that he should be moved to a bed as soon as possible.  The tailor was kind enough to let them put Hôjun in his bed in the living part of his building.  Kôran didn't leave Hôjun's side for a moment.

"Well," said the medic, after examining Hôjun, "it looks like a nervous breakdown, to put it simply.  Although, I've never seen one of this magnitude before."  She cleared her throat.  "Is he susceptible to extreme emotions?"

"Hai," Kôran answered, looking down at Hôjun.  He was now in a light, uneasy sleep.  "And, he has a habit of suppressing them to the point of them almost being unnoticeable."

"Hmm," the medic mused.  "My guess is that he's been suppressing tremendous grief over something, or maybe shock from a traumatic event, and it's finally broken out.  Or, perhaps, whatever happened to him or whatever he witnessed was bad enough that his mind just didn't acknowledge that it happened, and this is a delayed reaction to it.  That's been known to happen from time to time.  That happened to my mother when she was a child the day after she saw her brother die in an accident."

"Well," Kôran said, "he was in…in the war."  She was hesitant to say it.  Hôjun had never been meant to take part in such a terrible thing.  He was too kind and gentle at heart.

The medic nodded.  "That's probably it.  Now, he should be moved to your house, so he can wake up in a familiar setting.  If you need me again, just come to my house.  If I'm not there, just ask my apprentice, and she'll tell you where I am.  Oh, and my name is Kangofu."

Not long after that, Hôjun had been taken the short distance back home on a stretcher, still not having woken up.  It wasn't until late in the afternoon that he finally opened his eye.  The first thing he saw was his wife, sitting on the bed next to him, clutching his hand.

"Hôjun?" she asked softly.  "Are you feeling all right now?"

He turned his face away from her.  "Iie."  His voice cracked, and he swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.

"What…what happened?" she asked, seemingly tentative to bring it up.

He drew in a shaky breath; it sounded more like he was trying to stifle a sob.  "I can't talk about it right now…I don't know if I'll ever be able to talk about it."

"Hôjun, please," she said gently, taking his chin in her hand and turning his face back toward hers.  "If you keep it inside you like this, it will only get worse and worse as time goes on."  He had closed his eye and was not taking notice to what she said.  She sighed.  "Hôjun, I want to help you through this.  I can't if you won't tell me what's bothering you."

He eventually opened his eye again, and she almost started to see such potent anguish in them.  He looked over to the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar.  "Where are the children?"

"They're outside of town with a bunch of their friends and a few older kids."

"Close the door," he murmured, closing his eye again.  "If they come back, I don't want them hearing this."

She did as he asked, then returned to her seat on the bed.  She took his hand and squeezed it tight, reminding him that she was there if he needed anything.  The cat had curled up near his head, and he was now absentmindedly stroking its soft white fur with his other hand.  He opened his eye and stared at the ceiling for an endless moment, until, at last, he took a deep breath and began.

He told her everything, from being bitten on the hand by Miaka, to his injury and seizure before the summoning attempt, to the battle in the Miko city called Tokyo.  He didn't shed a single tear the whole time.  Unimaginable torment at the memories shone in his eye—which was glassy with repressed tears—for the most of it, especially when recounting the deaths of his fellow Seishi and the horrific war that raged on less than half a mile from the makeshift hospital camp he was stationed at.  He had seen almost every type of sickness and injury in the space of only a few months, and was surrounded day and night with the agony of the dying.

Kôran couldn't keep her tears in.  She couldn't imagine what her husband had been forced to endure, and her cheeks were often wet as she listened, completely silent, to his account of his Seishi duties.  Legend had called it a great honor and gift to be chosen as one of Suzaku's Sacred Warriors.  Hôjun had long since realized, and Kôran was just now finding out, that it was by far no gift or honor at all.  It was a curse of the worst kind.

Hôjun finally finished, several hours later, with the remembrance of the funeral wake held after the war was won for Nuriko, Chiriko, Mitsukake, and Hotohori-sama, as well as for all the men, women, and children that had died as a result of the war.  He had shed no tears there either, just stared numbly ahead as the ceremony went on.

He stopped talking and lay silent, still staring at the ceiling.  He lay there, listening to Kôran's soft breathing as she sat beside him, and a few moments later, he felt his eye start to sting.  Seconds later, his tears burst forth in a barely contained cry of mourning, his tears so numerous and powerful that they forced their way from his scarred eye as well, staining both his left and right cheeks.  Tama-neko mewed mournfully, understanding Hôjun's distress.  Kôran, her own tears starting anew, pulled him to her, letting him wrap his arms around her and weep bitterly in her embrace.  His grip was frail, and his sobs were weak, despite the forcefulness of his tears.  He had lost so much physical strength while he was gone, his deteriorated body visible testimony to that.  He was shaking violently, and she felt as if she were holding a little lost child, wailing for familiar comforts long gone.

"Oh, my love," she whispered softly into his loose hair.  "I'm so sorry."

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  I noticed as I was watching the anime and reading the manga that Chichiri sheds remarkably few tears the entire first part (the second part being when Tenkô starts making chaos in both worlds).  Really, the only time he really cries in the anime is when Mitsukake died, and in the manga version of that scene, he only let one or two tears fall.  At least, from what I saw.  Mitsukake died at the end of book twelve, and I haven't read book thirteen yet.  Anyway, it only stood to reason that he would eventually have to let all the tears he was holding in come out sooner or later.  Just imagine the pain he had to go through in the anime/manga, though.  He had no home to go back to, nor a wife and children to take solace in.  Anyway, what'd you think?  Please let me know at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	19. Premonition

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Nineteen:  Premonition 

Hôjun sighed and leaned back.  It had been about a year since the war between Kônan-koku and Kutô-koku, and life had gone back to normal.  It was still the subject of gossip around town, but that was expected.  It was a war that not only claimed the life of the emperor, but three other Seishi as well.  Hôjun never participated in the idle chat surrounding that subject; he never did, and never would.  It was not something he could talk about lightly.

Right now, he was leaning up against the trunk of the willow tree—which was about the only thing in the valley that survived the flood—by the river, looking out across the rushing water.  He had nothing to do at the moment, and he found himself wandering over this way not too long ago.  He was able to visit this spot without becoming overwhelmed with emotion now, but it still made him melancholy and subdued.  He would never forget what happened on this spot on that rainy day seven years ago.

It was a warm day, and he wanted to just sit there and forget about things.  He needed to relax, as the last few days had been rather stressing, what with two children in grouchy phases and a fire across the street that he had to help contain the day before.  He and everyone else involved were exceedingly grateful that they had been able to stop the fire before it spread to any other buildings besides the house it started in due to a toppled incense burner falling into a small bowl of lamp oil someone had carelessly left on the shelf below the incense burner.  Hôjun sighed again.  Small things like that could grow at such alarming rates.

_You're right,_ a voice suddenly said in his head.  He startled, reaching out automatically to whoever may be contacting him.  Nothing.

_Was that myself thinking, no da?_ Hôjun asked himself.  The words had been so faint and fleeting that now he couldn't tell if they were coming from some outside source or from his own head.

_Small things _can_ grow at alarming rates_, the words continued.  _Like a simple kiss.  That is a small thing, isn't it?_  Faint as they were, it seemed like the words were being said through smirking lips.

"Dare da, no da?!" Hôjun called out verbally and mentally.  Again, all that met his searching mind was empty silence.  It was as if nobody had opened their mind to him at all.  He looked all around him.  He couldn't see anybody, save some farmers in the fields outside of town.

He settled back against the tree, uneasy.  There was no obvious target, so he couldn't very well go after it.  Again, he wondered if he himself had thought those words, and nobody really had contacted him.  Looking back on the words, they didn't really seem like words at all, more like feelings and implications.  They were exactly like when he looked back on his own thoughts.

_Kuso, no da_, he thought.  _I hope I'm not going crazy, no da._  He gave a wry, thin smile.  _That would certainly be bad luck for the people of Shôryû, no da._  He had seen what an insane Seishi could and would do, and Shôryû would definitely not benefit from one.  He seriously doubted he was going crazy, though.  _My imagination's probably just getting away from me, no da._

He was about to get up to go back to the village when movement out of the corner of his eye made him stop and whip his head around.  There, by the edge of the forest surrounding the valley, he thought he could see the outline of a human being.  Just as he looked right at it, it disappeared into the forest, making him wonder if he had ever seen it at all.  After staring at that one spot for several minutes, he got up and hurriedly walked back to the village proper, troubled and apprehensive about his seemingly hallucinating senses.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Four months later…

Hôjun and Kôran were with their children in a clearing in the woods.  In fact, it was the same clearing Hôjun and Kôran had shared their first kiss together under the sakura tree in the middle.  The two adults were sitting against the trunk, their arms around each other, while the children were on the other side of the tree, Tori picking cherries off the lowest branches, giving some to Seiryoku and some to herself.

It had rained quite a bit the night before, and though the ground and most everything else was dry, there were still a few puddles here and there.  Hôjun and Kôran had to keep an eye on their children to make sure they wouldn't decide it was suddenly okay to play in the mud.

News had come from Eiyô not long ago, as it did from time to time.  It turned out that Empress Hôki and Prince Bôshin were still not talking.  The prince was just at the beginning of the period that babies generally started talking, so there wasn't much surprise there.  It was the empress that everyone was worrying about.  She had barely said a single complete sentence since her beloved husband had been brutally slain on the battlefield, and there seemed to be no end in sight to her self-imposed silence.  If she didn't speak to even her young son, there was worry that it may induce the prince to stay silent as well.  He spent almost all his time in his mother's bedchambers with her, and she was the most likely person that he'd model his behavior after.  He had already shown himself to be a very shy and reserved boy, especially for a baby.  How would his speech be affected?

Hôjun had been deeply saddened by the news.  He had known the empress a bit from his stay at the palace before and during the war, but not much, compared to how much he interacted with her husband.  Nevertheless, he had known her to be a very kind and good-natured young lady, about seventeen years old when she became Hotohori-sama's wife, and the everlasting silence that had fallen upon her was so much different from the woman she had been before the emperor met his death.  She really did love him with all her heart.  The bond between her and the emperor was the same as Hôjun had sensed between Tamahome and Miaka, Kôran and himself, and, though he had glimpsed it very briefly, Nakago and Soi.

Thinking about the two Seiryû Seishi brought another cloud over his thoughts.  Nakago had nearly brought ruin to two worlds, all because of long-buried hatred and a twisted inner mind, apparently the result of some horrible trauma he had experienced as a child.  Soi had loved the blond-haired shôgun very much, enough to give her life to save his, and Hôjun had been able to sense that Nakago had felt the same for Soi.  The problem was, that he had been burying his emotions for so long, that even he may not have known his feelings for the longhaired beauty that fought at his side.  Hôjun had almost missed the realization, brought about during the brief moment when Nakago's soul had fled from his body as he died, all the emotions unlocked and readable to anyone with the power to sense such things, like Hôjun had.

He looked down at his wife, who lay comfortably against him, her head on her chest.  _I wonder if she knows how lucky I consider us, no da_, he thought.  _We are very open with our love for each other, unlike Nakago and Soi; we had no predestined roles in the world that seemed hell-bent on keeping us apart, unlike Tamahome-kun and Miaka-chan; and we're both alive and well for each other, unlike Hotohori-sama and Hôki-san, no da._  He sighed and gave Kôran a quick squeeze, earning a returning squeeze from her.

"Kôran, no da?" he ventured.

"Hai, Hôjun?"

"Do you consider us lucky, no da?"

Without hesitation, she answered, "Of course, I consider us lucky."

"Naze, no da?"

"Well…we have a good home, two wonderful children, and our love for each other."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head.  "I feel exactly the same, no da."

A sudden feeling made him miss her affirmative reply as his attention was inexplicably drawn to his right.  He looked over, expecting to find some kind of adversary, when all he saw was a large puddle of water from the rain last night.  It was a nondescript puddle, large and irregularly shaped, and slightly brownish with the mud it sat upon.  The feeling was gone almost as soon as it showed up.

"Hôjun?" he vaguely heard Kôran say.  "Dô shita no?"

"I…don't know…no da," was his reply.  "It's as if…some magical entity suddenly teleported here…then either teleported immediately away…or somehow hid its presence from me, no da."  He looked again, and all he saw was that same puddle.  He didn't even know if the feeling was coming from the puddle or just in that direction.  He got a distinct sense of déjà vu as he suddenly remembered that day he was sitting by the river and hearing elusive whispers in his head.

_Akuma, no da?_ he thought to himself.  _Does one know I can sense it, and is playing games with me, no da?  Or, is it just passing through, and I'm picking up some kind of activity it's engaging in as it travels, no da?_  He thought a bit more.  _I don't even know if this is the same one, no da._

He had barely finished that thought, when a whisper forced its way into his mind.  _It's been me both times_, he heard it say into his mind.  _Ri Hôjun._  He started.  It knew his name!  It must have been watching him for some time, now.

_What do you want with me, no da?_ he immediately sent back.  It was obvious now that the whispers were not part of his imagination.  _Are you spying on my thoughts, no da?!_  He felt a bit of anger well up at that thought.

_A little_, the being returned.  _Don't worry, I haven't been prying into your most secret thoughts, nor have I looked in on your most private moments, such as what you and your wife do to each other in the heat of the night.  I have more honor than that.  Otherwise, I have been watching you quite a bit, Hôjun._

Hôjun's hackles rose at the possibility of someone spying on some of the moments he held most dear in his relationship with his wife.  _How do I know you're not lying, no da?!_ he quipped heatedly.  _Demons have no honor, no da!_

The voice seemed to be laughing at him.  _The lower ranks of us don't have any honor, so, yes, you're right in some respects.  All you've fought against are the mindless slaves of more powerful demons, anyway, so I'll forgive you that transgression.  However, the higher-up demons, like myself, have a sense of honor to equal yours, Hôjun.  Don't judge an entire species by the dregs of their society._  The voice didn't have any offense or resentment in it, only amusement and snide humor.

Hôjun let that sink in.  Yes, it was possible that more intelligent demons would have a sense of honor.  They were composed of more than just evil magic and a lust for killing, but an ability to think rationally.  He still wasn't settled.  More intelligent demons were also more dangerous, for they could think their strategies and attacks out, instead of just rushing blindly forward toward their target.  He'd much rather tangle with an honorless, stupid lower demon than an honorable, intelligent higher demon.

_You still haven't told me what you want with me, no da_, he continued.

Again, that sense of a laugh.  _Gomen ne, but I can't tell you that right now._

_Why not, no da?!_ Hôjun sent back.  _If I'm going to have somebody walking around in my head, I want to know why the hell you're doing it, no da!_

_I'm sorry, Hôjun_, the demon sent back without a shred of regret.  _Just ignore me while I'm here.  I have no intention of harming you or anyone else right now, anyway._

_Yes_, Hôjun replied, _but, you intend to harm people later on, don't you, no da?!  I have no intention to let you free to set up whatever kind of trap you have planned, no da!_

Again, the demon was laughing at him.  It seemed to find this situation very amusing.  _You can't stop me from setting up my "trap," as you call it.  And, you can't block me from your mind.  I've found a way around your mental barriers._

Hôjun suddenly felt extremely vulnerable.

_You might as well just let me alone to do what I please_, the demon continued.  _There's nothing you can do to stop me, so why try to fight it?_

_You…you…you devil!_ Hôjun shot back, furious.  He never felt so helpless in his life.  To have a demon having free run of his inner mind was unthinkable.  He felt deeply violated.

The demon laughed at him yet again.  _Calm yourself, and be patient.  You'll meet my master in the near future, I believe, and then me soon after.  Everything will come together for you then, I would imagine._

_Your master?_ Hôjun repeated.  There was suddenly a void where the faint presence of the demon had been felt.  The being was gone.  _Matte, no da!  Come back, no da!_ Hôjun practically pleaded.  _Who are you, no da?!  At least tell me that, no da!_  It was no use.  He was alone in his mind again.

Kôran had stayed silent the entire time, for she recognized that unfocused look in his eye that indicated telepathic contact with someone.  Now, she reached up to her husband as the look faded.  "Hôjun?  Daijôbu?"  Surprisingly, her voice seemed faint and distant.  She kept calling out to him even when he was looking right into her wide, curious eyes.  "Hôjun?  Hôjun?"

"Na?!" Hôjun stuttered, waking up suddenly.

"There you are," Kôran said with a smile.  "You had fallen asleep.  I was wondering if you would ever wake up.  You didn't answer to me as I tried to wake you up at all."  She tilted her head at him as he seemed to not be paying attention to her at all.  "Hôjun?  Are you feeling all right?"

"Hai, no da," he suddenly said, sounding anything but all right.  He looked up toward the sun.  "We better get back about now, no da."  As they stood up to leave, calling to their children across the clearing, Hôjun's mind was anywhere but in the present.

_What was that, no da?!_ he asked himself, greatly troubled.  _A dream, no da?!  Or, did a demon really contact me in my sleep, no da?!_  He could remember every word that was said, but it all seemed fuzzy and blurred at the same time, like his dreams were after he woke up.  He shivered slightly.  The thought of one of the loathsome creatures reading his thoughts and emotions like they were written on a scroll was something he never wanted to experience in his life.  But, what if it was just a dream, and there was no demon?  He just didn't have any evidence one way or another to make any kind of conclusion as to what he had just gone through.

The internal debate stayed with him until late that night, when he was almost afraid to go to sleep, terrified that the dream would come back to haunt his nights.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  So, what do you think?  Is Hôjun being plagued by a demon, or is his imagination just working on extreme overdrive?  Actually, considering the fact of foreshadowing, I hope all of you realize that it's obviously a real demon, not just an overly vivid dream.  I hope also that most, if not all, of you can figure out just who Hôjun is talking to.  I'd be very surprised if you got this far in this story and still didn't know who would want to tease and torture Hôjun like this.  It's one of the main parts of Chichiri's story in the original anime/manga, and stays one of the main parts in this story.  Anyway, let me know what you think at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	20. Returning

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty:  Returning 

"Ne, Tasuki?  Where are we?"

Tasuki turned from where he was sitting to look over to the newly arrived Miaka and Tamahome.  Er…Taka.  Well, whatever he was called, he and Miaka were back to Shi Jin Tenchi Sho, and Tama/Taka had no memories of his past life.  They were now in the shade of a tree, talking.

"We're in the northern part of Kônan-koku," Tasuki answered.  He pointed over to the northwest.  "See way over there?  That's an arm of the Shôryû River."

"The Shôryû River?" Miaka repeated.  "That sounds familiar…I wonder from where…hey!  I know!"

Both Tasuki and Taka jumped, startled by the Miko's sudden outburst.  The looked over to her, sweatdropping at the fact that she was now pointing her finger in the air and wearing a "Eureka!" look on her face.

"Ehhhh…where did you hear it, Miaka?" Taka questioned.

"Chichiri told me he lived in a town called Shôryû next to a river of the same name!" she said, excited.  "If we follow the river, we should get to his village!  I wanna see him!  Let's go visit!"

"But, which way do we go?" Tasuki asked, absentmindedly playing with his tessen.  "I'm not very familiar with this region, and I've never been to Chichiri's town."

"If you're not very familiar with this region, what are you doing here?" Taka asked.

"Passing through," Tasuki grunted in reply.  He and Taka were still not very happy in each other's presence, what with Tasuki's…er…greeting.  Taka didn't take kindly to being singed out of nowhere.

"Isn't there a farmhouse over that way?" Miaka asked, ignoring the two men as they glared at each other.  She pointed to what looked like tilled fields a ways down the river.  "We can go ask them which way Shôryû is."

Both Tasuki and Taka stared at Miaka.  She usually wasn't this bright.  All she seemed to think about was food and Taka.  Taka was especially surprised.  He knew Miaka hadn't eaten since breakfast, and thought she would have been "dying" with hunger by now.

"Are you just going to stare at me, or are we going to get going?" Miaka asked, giving Tasuki and Taka The Look.  They jumped up and followed her over to the farm in the distance.

When they finally got there, Tasuki was complaining.  "I get the feeling that we'd have gotten there by now if we had gone the other way!"  He was lagging behind.

"Quit whining and hurry up!" Taka called back to him.  "We'll never get there if we have to keep waiting for you!"

Tasuki grumbled and sped up a bit.

When they got to the farmhouse, Miaka was the one who knocked.  Taka was about thirty or so feet away, standing next to Tasuki, who had plopped down on the ground.  The farmer answered, as he was in at the moment, and looked surprised to see a young girl in strange clothing at his door with two young men—one whining about something, the other also in strange clothing—with her.

"Konnichi wa!" Miaka chirped.  "Can you tell me which direction the town of Shôryû is?"

The farmer gave her directions to follow the river back the way they came, but to be careful, as the way into the valley from this direction could be a bit treacherous, depending on what path you take.

"Arigatô!" Miaka said, waving goodbye.  "Sayonara!"

"What?!" Tasuki yelled when she told her companions which way they should go.  "I _told_ you we should have gone the other way!"

Taka gave Tasuki a death glare.  His hair was still a little black around the edges.  Nevertheless, they set off in the right direction with very little incident.  Taka and Tasuki did have to shove each other around a bit when Tasuki stood up.  Miaka ignored them.

It took them about three hours of walking, half and hour of which being taken up by waiting for Tasuki to "hurry his ass up," as Taka put it.  Taka almost got flamed again.

"Wai!" Miaka squealed as they got to the rim of the Shôryû Valley, seeing the town nestled at the bottom next to the mighty river.  They had had to take a detour away from the course of the river for a while, due to the difficulty of the terrain, and came upon the valley from one of the sides, not from the near end.  "We're almost there!  Look, you guys!  Isn't the town so cute?!"

The guys gave vague agreements.  They really weren't ones to say a town looked cute.  They had to do some convincing to get Miaka to rest up a bit before they descended into the valley, and almost had to threaten to tie her to a tree to keep her from running down the hill toward the town.  All three of them seemed to forget that they didn't have any rope with them.  Miaka reluctantly agreed to wait a bit to let the guys rest up.  She was so excited at being back in the Book, and she wanted to see her two surviving Seishi so badly.  One down, one to go.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, Miaka fidgeting the whole time, they continued on, taking what looked like the clearest path down into the valley.  Their luck, unfortunately, did not hold out.

"Whaaaagh!" Tasuki squawked as he stepped on an unstable rock, making it tip and dump him several feet down the trail.  He plowed right into Taka, who was in front of him, sending them both tumbling.  Taka, in turn, fell right into Miaka, and they all went rolling down the hill.  About thirty or forty feet later, they finally came to a stop, thanks to a big fallen log they crashed into.  Tasuki was on top, Taka was in the middle, and Miaka was squashed on bottom.

"Itai!" they all groaned in unison.

"Aho!" Taka roared at Tasuki, whose tessen was digging into his stomach.  "Watch where you're putting your big feet, will ya?"

Tasuki, for once, didn't have a comeback line.  He was lying on his back on top of Taka, eyes looking like spirals.  About a half-dozen chibi Suzaku birds were flying around his head and chirping.

"Ano…" came a muffled voice from under Taka.  "I hate to bother you guys, but GET OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Ack!" Taka exclaimed, jumping up off of Miaka, taking Tasuki with him.  Miaka, looking squished and a bit miffed, sat up.  She didn't seem to be hurt very much.

"Baka!" she squealed, dusting herself off.  She was trying to keep from laughing.

"It was his fault!" Taka insisted, pointing to Tasuki, who was now chasing the little Suzaku birds away.  Neither of them noticed Miaka's attempts not to laugh until she lost her little personal battle, bursting into laughter.  They both looked at her funny.

"Go…gomen…nasai!" she gasped.  "It's just…it's just that…I don't know!  That was so funny!"  She dissolved into laughter, not being able to speak anymore.  Tasuki and Taka just stood there, watching.  After a few seconds, they began to smile, then chuckle, then laugh with as much force as Miaka was.  After several minutes, they all managed to stop, breathless.

"Gomen nasai!" Miaka said again, catching her breath.  "I don't know why I found that so funny!"

"Ah, think nothing of it," Tasuki grinned.  He stood up.  "Well, might as well go on, ne?"

"Hai!" Miaka cried, jumping up.  "Let's go see Chichiri!"

After ten more minutes of walking, they finally came to the outskirts of town.  Miaka was about to run off to go find the man they were looking for, when she stopped and realized she didn't know where he lived.  This town was big enough that it would take all day or longer to find him without asking somebody.

"Excuse me!" she said to a middle-aged woman.  "Can you tell me where Chichiri lives?"

"Chichiri?" the woman asked, eyeing Miaka and Taka oddly.  She had never seen clothes like that before.  "Oh!  You mean Ri Hôjun!"

"Really?" Tasuki asked.  "Is that his name?"

"Hai," the woman answered, pointing to the west.  "He lives on the edge of town on the western side.  Ask somebody there where it is."

"Hai!" Miaka said.  "Arigatô gozaimasu!"  She fairly ran off in that direction, but Taka and Tasuki each grabbed an arm, holding her back with them.  Much more to their tastes, they began _walking_ in that direction.

They got to the west side of town, getting stares all the way, and asked directions to the Ri residence.  They had just walked up to it when the door opened, and there stood their man.

"Miaka-chan, no da!" he exclaimed, looking shocked and happy at the same time.  "Tasuki-kun, no da!  Tamahome-kun, no da!  You _are_ here, no da!"  He hadn't time to say anything else before Miaka ran up and flung her arms around him, almost knocking him back into the house.

"Chichiri!" Miaka cried.  "Hisashiburi yo!"

"Hai, Miaka-chan, no da," Hôjun replied, returning her hug.  "It has been a long time, hasn't it, no da?"

Miaka nodded toward Taka.  "Chichiri, this is Sukunami Taka.  It's Tamahome, but he doesn't remember his past life, just like Tai'itsukun said he wouldn't."

"Ah, no da," Hôjun said, looking Taka over.  "Tasuki-kun, you mean you didn't give him the stone with memories of you in it, no da?"

"Ah!" Tasuki cried, slapping his forehead.  "I forgot completely!"

"We'll take care of that later, no da," Hôjun said, noticing the confused looks from Miaka and Taka.  Hôjun let go of Miaka.  "I felt your presences when you arrived, no da.  But…I didn't come out to meet you, because I at first didn't believe that you had come back so suddenly, no da.  And…"  He paused, looking a little shy.  "I've been preoccupied today, no da."

"With what?" Miaka asked.

Hôjun suddenly grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her inside.  "I'll show you, no da!  Come inside, all of you, no da!"

Miaka and the others followed him into the house.  He stopped in front of a partially opened door and motioned them inside, smiling.  The inside of the room was dark, lit only by a few candles.  Miaka could make out a shape on the bed, and walked over.  She broke into a wide-eyed grin when she saw what that shape was.

There, on the bed, was a young woman looking about Hôjun's age.  At her breast lay a tiny baby, wrapped warmly in a blanket.  The baby was asleep, and the woman looked exhausted.

"Oh!" Miaka whispered.  "Kawaii!"

"The baby was born about two hours ago, no da," Hôjun said, stepping up behind her.  "She's my second daughter, no da.  We've named her Hana, after my sister, no da."

"Mmm," the woman groaned, turning her head toward them and opening her eyes.  "Hôjun…who are these people?"

Hôjun knelt down next to the bed, taking her hand and kissing it.  "Kôran, no da," he began, adoration lacing his voice.  "The young lady is Yûki Miaka, no da.  Suzaku no Miko, no da."  He motioned toward Tasuki and Taka.  "The redhead is Suzaku Shichi Seishi Tasuki, and the one behind is Suzaku Shichi Seishi Tamahome, no da."

Kôran smiled as best she could in her tired state.  "It is an honor to meet you," she whispered.

Just then, two children suddenly rushed into the room.  They looked scared of the newcomers for a moment, but as soon as their father made introductions, they immediately began looking over their guests.  They fingered clothing, stared with wide eyes, and asked tons of questions.  Miaka and the others could barely keep up with the answers.

About twenty minutes later, the children had calmed down and gone to their room to play.  As Kôran lay in her and Hôjun's bedroom, nursing the baby, Hôjun and the others sat at the dining room table.  Hôjun had just gotten Tasuki to fish the memory-holding stone out of his pockets, and had handed it to Taka.  The young ex-warrior was just now coming out of the half-trance induced by the rush of memories.

Taka looked over to Tasuki.  "Tasuki…I remember you."  He didn't let Tasuki respond, grabbing him by the shirt and shaking him back and forth.  "BAKAYARÔ!  Just _who_ 'blah-blahed' Miaka's 'blah-blah'?!?!?!"  He didn't look happy in the slightest over Tasuki's earlier comment.

Miaka looked over to Hôjun, the two of them ignoring the ensuing argument.  "Ne, Chichiri?  Where's your stone?"

"At Daikyoku-zan, no da," Hôjun replied.  He sighed.  "I have no idea where the others are, no da.  We'll probably do quite a bit of searching, unless we get lucky, no da."  He looked over to his bedroom door.  "It's my duty to go with you, but I don't want to leave my wife at a time like this, no da."

"You don't have to go, Chichiri," Miaka said.

Hôjun shook his head.  "Iie, Miaka-chan, no da.  I hate to say it, but my duty as a Seishi comes before my family, no da.  Besides, you may need me at some time or another, no da."  He didn't look the slightest bit happy about leaving his family again, especially so soon after his wife had given birth.  He looked up.  "You all should spend the night, no da.  It's getting late, and we probably shouldn't start out at this time of day, no da.  I could teleport us to Daikyoku-zan, but you all look like you need to rest, no da."  Miaka and the others accepted the offer.  Well, Miaka did for herself and on behalf of Tasuki and Taka, who were wrestling about on the floor.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hôjun lay in bed, his arms wrapped around his sleeping wife.  The baby lay in a baby basket near the bedside.  Hôjun was stroking Kôran's hair, hating what had to happen tomorrow morning.  Neither he, nor Kôran, nor the children, wanted him to go.  He had broken the news to Kôran as gently as possible, but she had still dissolved into his arms in tears.  She was obviously scared to death.  As simple as a stone hunt sounded, there were all kinds of possibilities of things going wrong.  The Suzaku Shichi Seishi probably still had enemies out there, and things could get really difficult really quickly.  Postpartum depression didn't help matters.  Kôran's sudden change in hormone levels after giving birth was making her emotions go crazy.

"Gomen nasai, Kôran," Hôjun whispered into her hair.  "I'll come back to you in one piece.  Yakusoku yo."

He lay like that a long time, finally dropping off to sleep about half an hour before midnight.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A low chuckle sounded, its maker standing halfway in the Material Plain, halfway in Limbo.  The being wanted to watch its prey, but didn't want its presence revealed.

"Just wait, Hôjun," the being purred, its golden eyes shining in anticipation.  "I'll return you to her in one piece, but you won't necessarily be alive."  The being reached down and brushed its invisible fingers against Kôran's cheek.  Being half out of the Material Plain made its touch like a cold breeze blowing over her skin.  She shivered.  The being grinned, disappearing back to its lair.

"You will be mine, Kôran," the being whispered softly, watching her through one of its many water mirrors.  It touched the surface of the water, making ripples.  Its eyes softened, deepest love flashing through their depths.  "Ai shiteru yo."

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to write.  School's been in my way, plus I had a whole bunch of other fics to write before I forgot about my fic ideas.  Gomen nasai.  COME ON, GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY FEEDBACK ON THIS STORY FOR MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Is anybody still reading this fic at all? *whines*  Anyway, if anybody is, please let me know, and tell me how I'm doing so far.  I'm getting worried that the lack of feedback means nobody's reading.  If you don't want to review, let me know what you think at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	21. Abduction

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-One:  Abduction 

Shôryû Village.

It was night, and all respectful people were in bed.  It was not too terribly late, but most people in the streets at this time were people you wouldn't want to encounter in the darkness.  But, there were less of the dregs of society out tonight as usual, for it was raining fairly hard.

A figure appeared at the edge of town, apparently heedless of the rain.  It was shrouded in darkness, the moon and the stars blocked out by the rain clouds.  The figure was that of a tall man, but something about him was awry.  Not only did he seem to ignore the rain entirely, but, if one looked, two transparent wing-like shapes issued from his spine.  Or, was it his shoulder blades?  You couldn't tell in the darkness and rain.  You could barely tell they were even there.

The being walked resolutely through the streets, as if it knew exactly where it was going.  It hadn't gone far, when it stopped in front of a house, staring at the front door.  It stood there for many minutes, not moving a muscle.  The rain fell relentlessly, soaking the being thoroughly.  It still didn't seem to mind.  But, then again, it didn't seem to be getting wet, either.  The hair and clothes were not weighed down.  Indeed, they looked as if the weather was dry, but the raindrops were clearly landing on the being, as they were landing on everything else.  Or, were they?

If one stood watching the being from the house it was staring at, they would discern two eyes, glowing with a distinct, yet faint, golden light.  The eyes were slightly narrowed, as if in thought.  The being's hands were folded into its sleeves, making it look a little defensive.  The face, besides the eyes, was completely hidden by the rain and darkness, but one got the impression it had a thoughtful expression.  Or, maybe a bit of a perpetual scowl.

If anyone had been indeed watching, they immediately thought themselves either ill or mad when they witnessed they being's next action.  The being suddenly dissolved into a small rush of water, and entered the house under the door.  The water began forming again into a humanoid shape as it entered.  When finished, the being stood in the middle of the front room, as dry as if it had just walked in out of the sun.  The floor was dry as well, leaving no trace of its method of entrance.

The being stood still for a moment, surveying the room.  It wasn't terribly interested, but it felt like looking.  The room was dim, of course, but the being could tell it was fairly cozy.  It wasn't the most impressive house in the village, but the owners of this house were pretty well off.

The being eventually turned its gaze toward a hallway leading off from the front room.  It was the first two doors in that hallway that drew its attention.  One door held no immediate interest for the being at the moment.  It meant to pay a visit to the occupants of that room, but not right now.  The other room held the being's current targets.  It strode over to that door and silently opened it.  Inside, it could see two small children, sleeping soundly.  It walked to the bedside of the larger one, the girl.  She looked just like her father.  Looking over to the other child, the boy, the being saw a strong resemblance to the mother.

The being moved away a bit from the girl's bed, so it was equidistant from both children.  It held its arms out almost horizontal, murmuring the words of a spell.  It needed to be quiet.  The being wanted the occupants of the next room to stay sleeping for a few minutes more, and there was certainly no need to rouse the entire village with one of its more spectacular methods of capturing prey.

The two children were gently lifted off their beds and encased in bubbles of substance that glowed the faintest blue.  They did not awaken just yet.  However, when the bubbles carrying them followed the being out the door, the movement and the perpetual chill inside the bubbles woke them, and they immediately began crying, scared of this new, confusing experience.

_Shut up, or I'll drown you both!_ the being snapped mentally.  It had a deep hatred for these children, due to the identity of their father, and it had half a mind to kill them right here and now.  It refrained, however, and its threat was enough to make the children cease crying.  They continued to whimper, but that was of no concern.  The being entered the second room.

There she was.  The being's eyes softened at the sight of her, love so potent it hurt welling up.  It walked slowly over to the bedside, but stopped and looked down and to the side.  At its feet was a baby basket holding a little girl, perhaps a few weeks old.  The being gritted its teeth, hatred coursing through it.  Yes, it hated even this innocent baby.  She was the latest addition into the household, the latest defilement bestowed upon the mother by the accursed father, and most likely not the last.  The being felt unimaginable fury that, for eight years, the object of its affections had been used by its worst enemy in that way.  The being bent down and picked up the sleeping child, actively having to restrain itself from squeezing the life out of her.

The baby started squirming as the being's cold hands lifted her from her cradle.  After a few seconds, she woke up fully and began crying.  The little girl's cries woke a small white cat that was sleeping on the bed before they woke the mother.  The cat jumped up, its fur raised at the intruder, and hissed.  When the being didn't retreat, the cat began pawing at the woman's face, meowing.  The woman, already waking up, opened her eyes.

"Mm, what is it, Tama?" the woman sleepily inquired, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes.  "Oh, don't get so upset over Hana crying.  I'll take care of—!"  She suddenly broke off when a startled gasp.  She saw the intruder holding her youngest daughter, and was immediately afraid.  "Dare da?!" she shakily demanded.

The being put the baby back in the cradle and turned toward the woman.  "Really, Kôran?  Is that how you greet old friends?"  There was no malice in its voice, only amusement at Kôran's reaction to it.

"Nani…?" Kôran asked, clutching the blankets to her, blocking the being from seeing her nightclothes.

"Don't you know who I am?" the being asked, stepping closer.  There was a hint of disappointment in its voice now.

Kôran stared at the being standing at her bedside.  That voice…that stance…she had seen them many times before.  The silhouette was a bit different, but…

"Hikô…kimi desu ka?"

"Hai," Hikô replied.

Kôran seemed stretched between two reactions.  The sparkle in her eyes held elation at seeing her old friend again, as well as fear at being visited by someone long since dead.  After a struggle, she chose the latter reaction.

"Dô shite…why are you here?!" she whispered, her voice trembling.  "You…you're dead!"

"Yes and no," Hikô replied.  "My mortal body died in the waters.  What you see before you is not my ghost, but a more powerful body identical to my first, harboring enormous power.  Power enough to defeat that fool who claims to love you."

"Nani?!" Kôran cried.  "Hôjun?!  No!  Don't hurt him!"  Something in Hikô's voice made it plain to her that he was very capable of matching, if not besting, Hôjun in an all-out fight.

"I'm afraid I have to," Hikô answered, venom on his tongue.  "I have to make that bastard pay.  He not only took from me the one person I hold dear, but my life as well.  I have to make him pay dearly for the sins he's committed against me!  He took from me all that is dear to me, so I will take from him all that is dear to him!"

Kôran's eyes widened.  All that is dear to Hôjun…oh, Suzaku!  The children!  She jumped up out of bed, and as soon as her feet hit the floor, she leapt toward Hana's cradle.  She had the intention of grabbing it and running to Tori and Seiryoku's room.  If they couldn't run, they should at least be all together in one spot.

She was stopped abruptly when a strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist and kept her from going forward.  She struggled, trying to break Hikô's hold on her, gripping the fabric of his sleeves tightly as she tried to shove him away.  Her inferior strength gave way, and she felt herself pushed back down onto the bed.  Her grip on his clothes was tight enough, that she pulled him down on top of her as she fell.

"Iya da!" she cried, his superior weight pinning her firmly to the bed.  Ideas of rape and murder stole frantically through her head.  "Hanase!"  Even her cries were hampered as she felt a cold hand close over her mouth.  Even so, Tori and Seiryoku were screaming for their mother outside the door.  Tama-neko, having recovered from the shock of them both falling back on the bed, leapt up to Hikô's face, hissing and spitting, and tried to claw out his eyes.  Hikô cursed and grabbed the cat with his free hand, flinging it across the room into a wall.  It connected with a lout _thunk_.

"Now," Hikô said, turning back to Kôran, his hand still over her mouth, "I'm taking you and your children with me.  I could have just killed the brats as soon as I came here, but I won't.  Not until I kill Hôjun himself.  The more bait I have, the sooner my prey will come to me."

Kôran was trembling violently.  This had to be a nightmare!  She realized with a sinking feeling that all of this was real as he yanked her into a standing position beside the bed, hurting her arm as he did so.  Still holding onto her, he bent down to Hana again and picked the baby up one-handed, snagging the front of her clothes and picking her up that way.  If her clothes ripped, she would be dashed against the floor.

Hikô handed her roughly to Kôran.  "Take your child."  He then led Kôran, who held the baby tightly against her chest, out into the hallway.  She gasped when she saw her other two children, suspended in the air and sobbing.

"No!" she cried again, pulling against his grasp on her arm.  "Take me, if you must!  But, not my children!  They've done nothing!"

"Nothing, ne?" Hikô repeated scornfully.  "They are of the Ri family.  That alone is enough to do away with them!"  He looked directly into her eyes, his voice a little quieter as he continued.  "They and their father are the last of the Ris.  I won't rest until they all lay cold.  The only reason I haven't killed these three yet is to lure the father to me."

"Demo," Kôran said, her voice pleading, "I am a Ri, as well!  Why not want me dead, as well?"

"You are a Ri by name only, not by blood," Hikô replied.  "The sole reason you bear that name is that the last surviving son took you to wife.  All the others of that family are dead, leaving me only your husband and children to do away with."

Kôran was in tears.  "Hikô, what happened to you?!  You were never like this before!"

"Times change," he said, sounding bitter.  "People change."

"Hikô…" Kôran murmured through her tears.  "Why do you hate Hôjun so much?  Why must you take this revenge on not only him, but his children as well?"

"That bastard betrayed me," Hikô hissed through clenched teeth.  "He took you from me, my one true love.  Not only that, but he had the audacity to take my life, even when I had given up my pursuit of you!  He paid no heed to me as I pleaded for my life!  He let the river take me without a second thought!"  He let go of Kôran's arm, his head bowed, his fists clenched.  He was shaking.  "He let me dangle for a few minutes.  I thought he had changed his mind, that he didn't want me to die, that he was going to pull me up.  But…he wrenched his hand away…he let me die!"

Kôran was free to run if she wanted to, but she didn't.  She couldn't just leave Tori and Seiryoku here with Hikô.  Plus, she felt sudden pity for the once-human before her.  She laid a hand on his arm.  "Hikô…that's not—"

He jerked away from her as soon as he felt her touch, as if it burned.  "Don't try to defend him!  It will only make it hurt more to know how he's deceived you!"  In the darkness, Kôran could see tears making their way down his face.  "I love you, Kôran!" he continued.  "I won't stop until you're free of him!  Until you are mine!  I can't live anymore without you beside me!"

_Oh, Suzaku_, Kôran thought, dismayed.  _He's still obsessed with me!_  She began to back away, clutching Hana to her.  "Hikô…"

His hand suddenly shot out and grabbed hold of her arm again, squeezing hard enough as to almost make her cry out.  She couldn't stop him as he pulled her forward into a tight embrace.  Hana, squished between them, started crying.  He cursed under his breath, grabbed the baby out of Kôran's arms, and threw her into Tori's bubble, suspending the two sisters together.  Kôran couldn't speak as he crushed her to his chest, his tears falling into her hair.

"Oh, gods, I love you so much!" he murmured into her long, loose hair, stroking it lovingly.  "I'll never let you go again!"

Kôran merely stood there, not returning the embrace.  Tears of her own slid down her cheeks.  Extreme sorrow and regret was washing through her, and she couldn't help but cry.  _Suzaku!  Why did it have to turn out this way?!_

She barely noticed as she, Hikô, and the two bubbles containing the children dissolved into water, which exploded outwards, teleporting them to his lair.  The house was left dry as a bone, no sign of a Water Demon having been there.  She opened her eyes a minute later, and gasped when she realized they were in a huge, damp cave.  "Hikô…?  Koko wa doko da?"

"This is my home," Hikô replied letting go of her.  "It's been my home for the past eight years.  It's not so bad, once you get used to it.  It didn't take me long, being a Water Demon."

"Demon?!" she cried, staring wide-eyed at him.  "You're a—"

"Damare!" he suddenly snapped.  "It was a necessary transformation!"  He wasn't happy about her shock over it.  He grabbed her arm, leading her over to a large shelf of rock, cut off from the rest of the cave floor.  There was no water under their feet here.  The two bubbles followed and set themselves gently (more or less) on the shelf, popping.  Tori, holding Hana, and Seiryoku ran over to their mother and clung to her legs.

"You'll have to wait here," Hikô said.  "With a little luck, I should be able to lure Hôjun here by this time tomorrow."

Hikô's purpose suddenly returned to Kôran's thoughts.  He meant to kill her husband and children, and to take possession of her.  Her fear returned as well.  Hikô had turned and was walking away, and she went after him.  "Hikô!  Come ba—"  As soon as she was about to step off the shelf, she found herself frozen in place, unable to move forward.  All she could do was move backward back onto the shelf.  Hikô turned around.

"I've put a ward there," he explained.  "Only my master and I can go through it.  No one else can get on or off that shelf of rock."

"Very good, Hikô," a deep voice sounded from across the cave.

Hikô spun around, clearly startled.  Kôran's eyes widened as she saw a strange-looking man materialize on the other side of the cave.  He wasn't that far away, and she could see his slit eyes glowing with an orangey-silver light.  He was very tall, dressed all in black, and his silver hair was impossibly long, just brushing the shallow water that covered most of the cave floor.  Kôran felt a distinct feeling of dread, and backed away to the stone cave wall behind her, her children following.  She took Hana from Tori and held her protectively to her breasts.

"Tenkô-sama!" Hikô exclaimed, clearly surprised at his master's sudden entrance.  He bowed in respect.  "I didn't expect you at the moment!"

Tenkô disappeared and reappeared in front of his servant, placing his hand on Hikô's head.  It was a gesture of acceptance of Hikô's fealty, as well as a signal to straighten back up.  He looked up toward Kôran, stepping up onto the shelf and coming closer.  Kôran was cowering back in a corner, her terrified children behind her, her baby still clutched to her chest.  Her face was turned away, and she refused to look at the Demon God nearing her.  Words couldn't describe the fear she felt at the presence of such utter evil.  All she could think of was Hôjun.  Hikô apparently got his power from this monster, and he planned to use it to kill Hôjun and the children.  She couldn't help but wonder if Hikô's master would have a part in it, as well.  She shuddered to think of what they would do to her loved ones.

He knelt down next to her, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him.  His orange eyes burned into her, their gaze so intense she was sure he was reading her soul.  Tears started down her cheeks again; she couldn't look into his eyes long, but she had no choice.  She was trembling violently.

A chilling smile crossed Tenkô's angular face.  "You really are a beautiful creature," he whispered to her, his silky smooth voice dripping with deadly power.  "Now I see why Hikô desires you so much.  I'd take you for myself, if I hadn't already promised you to him.  I have too much honor to break my promises."

"You have no honor at all, you monster!" Kôran hissed, though she didn't know what gave her the courage to do so.

Tenkô's smile disappeared.  "You're a spirited wench, aren't you?" he questioned, and slapped her sharply across the face before she could respond.  The force of the blow made her gasp, and he felt a twinge of anger from Hikô.  He knew very well Hikô hadn't the power or the guts to challenge him, so he ignored his servant's reaction.  He stood back up.  "I'd advise you to not speak to me like that ever again."  With that, he disappeared out of the cave.

Hikô looked like he wanted to say something, but shut his mouth before any words came out.  He turned around and disappeared in a splash, leaving Kôran and her children alone.

Kôran gathered her three children to her, holding them tightly, crying silently.  _Suzaku!_ she prayed.  _Save my husband and children!  Onegai!_

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  This chapter turned out longer than I expected.  I also originally intended to include two other segments, which will now constitute chapter twenty-two.  Oh, well.  No harm done.  Anyway, I don't know if chapter twenty-two will be out soon or not.  It may take a while for three reasons.  First, I have school, and second, I just got a job (at Suncoast Video, my fave store for getting anime! =D).  No telling what kind of time I will or won't have for writing.  Third, I'm still waiting for the last few Fushigi Yûgi mangas I need to arrive from Japan.  I want to write the confrontation between Hôjun and Hikô (at least the parts that stay true to Watase-sama's original) while I'm looking at the manga, so I can get it accurate.  I don't know when they'll arrive—I'm hoping it's soon—so it may be a few weeks.  So, be patient.  Please leave a review!  I didn't get any feedback between June and chapter twenty, and I don't want to get none again!  Let me know what you think in a review or at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	22. Reunion

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-Two:  Reunion 

Hôjun ran through the forest, unheeding of the cold wind that buffeted his body.  First, he had smelled an oddly familiar scent on the wind.  Second, he wakes up completely alone in the forest, his only companion the currently incapacitated Nyan-Nyan hanging from his prayer beads in a crystal-like ball.  Third, he finds a bruised and bloodied Taka lying unconscious on the ground.  Fourth, Taka had run away, screaming Miaka's name, unnoticing of his injuries.  Something was definitely wrong.  He didn't know where he was going, merely following the others' ki signatures.  He sensed immediate danger.

A sudden smell invaded his nostrils.  That smell again.  Since he had first noticed it, a nagging memory had been struggling to identify itself.  He couldn't place where he had smelled it before, but he knew it was important.

"That smell…!" Hôjun gasped.  "_Where_ do I remember that smell from, no da?!"

"Where are you going, Chichiri?" an unexpected voice said from up in a tree.  Hôjun whipped his gaze up to the source, beholding a tall, winged humanoid.  "There's really no point in going so fast.  I doubt you'll get there in time."

"In time…?" Hôjun repeated.  He had sensed right.  Something awful was happening, and he was pretty much powerless to stop it.

"Hai," the winged man confirmed.  "Tasuki is behaving just as I expected.  I couldn't be more satisfied with how he's taking my influence."

"Tasuki…?  You…you did something to Tasuki…made him hurt Tamahome…"  Hôjun couldn't believe they had let something like this happen.  Without another word, he gathered energy for a simple yet effective attack and released.

The winged man jumped clear just as the branch under him shattered into splinters.  He spread his wings, and a sudden downpour soaked Hôjun to the skin in a matter of seconds.

"Water?" Hôjun questioned.  So, this was a Water Demon.  He started to prepare for another attack, but suddenly fell to his knees as the ground moved under him.  "Da!"  The rain had stopped falling as suddenly as it started, and all he could do was stare at the demon floating above him.

"Tenkô-sama's power is growing," the demon said, sounding pleased.  "What you just felt was an outlet of his power.  Soon, the whole world will feel his strength, and the humans will be his to control.  Not only here, but in the Miko world, as well."

"You demons!" Hôjun screamed.  "You'll never reach Miaka's world, no da!  We won't let you, no da!  We—!"

He stopped abruptly as the moon emerged from behind the clouds, illuminating the demon's face for the first time.  It was revealed slowly, and Hôjun felt a cold sweat form on his skin as the features became distinguishable.  That face…the expression was so different from what he remembered, but…

His hands were trembling.  His eye began to sting sharply as his quivering fingers pulled the thin fabric of his mask from his face.  He could feel his face slowly dissolve into a look of still-fresh pain over something he wished more than anything had not happened.

_I see_, a voice echoed in his head.  _You two are in love!  I never would have guessed!  Have you set the wedding date?  This next spring?  Omedetô!_

_Hai!_ he heard his own voice reply.  _We wanted you to be the first one to know about this!  You…you'll come to the wedding, won't you?_

_Of course, I will_, the first voice said.  _You and I are best friends, aren't we?_

All he could see was the willow tree in the distance as his mind brought up memories of running up the hill toward it, a small wooden object clutched tightly in his hand.  He couldn't stop himself from remembering before he saw that horrible sight of his best friend and his dear soul mate in each other's arms.

"Dô shite…" Hôjun whispered, just as he had that fateful day, dropping the mask just as he had dropped the small hair adornment he had lovingly carved for his fiancée.  A single sentence kept running though his mind:  _You and I are best friends, aren't we?…best friends, aren't we?…best friends, aren't we?…best friends…_

"HIKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" was all Hôjun could bring himself to scream out.  A sudden rush of anger, sadness, and betrayal flooded his system as he realized Tenkô's newest weapon against him and the others was none other than his dearest friend.

"You remember now, don't you, Hôjun?" Hikô replied to Hôjun's scream.  He watched with a smirk on his face as Hôjun wavered on his feet, looking like he was ready to collapse.

"Uso da…uso da!" Hôjun almost sobbed, his eye wide.  "Hikô…you…you've come back…as a…as a…"  He floundered for a minute, then tried to say something else.  "I…I remember now…that smell…it's…it's the fragrance you used to always wear…"

"Chichiri!" a voice cried from his right.  He turned his head and saw Nuriko and Mitsukake running up to him.  He looked back to Hikô and realized the once-human was now gone.

"Hôjun…iya, Chichiri," he heard Hikô's voice come from the dark foliage of the pine trees.  He barely registered what else Hikô said, only that Tasuki, Miaka, and Taka were at some inn in the nearest town.

"Chichiri!" Nuriko said, skidding to a stop with Mitsukake.  "Dô shita no?  Who was that guy?  Miaka-tachi wa?!"

Hôjun looked down at his hand, a sudden resolve forming.  "Hayaku…Miaka…we have to go, no da!"

Before either of his companions could question, he sped off toward the nearest town, hoping against hope they would get there before anything irreversible happened.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He lay in bed, his eye closed.  What he bothered to listen to from the others indicated they did not know he was awake yet.  He didn't care right now.  He could only remember.

Hikô had not died as a human should.  He had been twisted, possessed, molded into a demon at the hands of the most unspeakably evil creature in existence.  He had nearly made Tasuki rape Miaka, taking the bandit's brotherly love for the Miko and turning it into a raging fire, confusing him into thinking he loved Miaka in a way he was not allowed to.  Now, Hikô had kidnapped Miaka, and left a challenge to come get her to the Seishi…most pointedly, Hôjun himself.

Everyone…everyone now knew what happened eight years ago in that monstrous storm.  He had remembered it from time to time since then, but to see it played out before him, open for everyone around to watch, only made it cut deeper than usual.  He had broken down, shrieking for it to stop.  He had next been slammed against the wall behind him, and could do nothing but slide down to the floor as Hikô issued his challenge, saying he planned to take everything Hôjun held dear away from him.  He had blacked out a few seconds later, and woke up a few minutes ago in this bed.

Mitsukake was speaking…something about waiting until he woke up…waiting for his sake.

"I…can't fight," he whispered, his eye still closed.

"Chichiri!" Mitsukake exclaimed at the same time as Tasuki.

"You're awake!" Tasuki continued on his own.

"You all saw," Hôjun said shakily.  "I…was eighteen years old…Hikô…I killed my best friend."  He paused, memories of Kôran's weeping voice and the uncontainable rage sweeping through him dominating his thoughts.  "I…I had two people in my life…my soul mate and my soul brother.  That day…a huge flood swept through the valley my village sits in.  The town was completely destroyed…nothing was left!  My family…my friends…almost everyone I knew drowned that day!  But…not Hikô!  I…I can't put him to death a second time!  I can't…I can't fight…!"  Tears were threatening to stain his cheek.  He refused to let them fall.  He turned his face away, unable to look his friends in the eye.

"Chichiri," he heard Mitsukake say softly.  "I…I also lost my family in that flood.  I thought my life was over.  But, I had Shôka with me.  She saved my soul, much like I imagine your wife saved yours.  This power we have…it's all for naught if we can't protect the ones we love with it.  I thought I had let Shôka down by letting her die, and my not being there for her turned her into a demon.  I managed to put her to rest, a year later.  I wish I could have done it sooner.  You have to go to your friend, let him know you care, release him from the misguided hatred he holds for you.  You're the only one who can do that.  Only you can make him see the light.  Show him the love you still hold for him, and he will finally be able to rest in peace."

Hôjun could only stare.  Mitsukake was right…but…

"Chichiri," he heard Taka say.  "I'm sorry.  You've always been there for me, for everyone.  You've given us your help, asking nothing in return.  I can't believe you to be so insensitive as to kill your friend on purpose, as Hikô's implying.  You're one of the most selfless people I have ever encountered, in both my lives.  Now…I need your help one more time.  Please…find them!  Let me go there…I have to save Miaka!  If I'm the only one to go, so be it!  I—"

"Iya," Hôjun said, sitting up, a new determination burning through him.  "I will go.  This is my fight.  If he plans on taking everything I hold dear—!"  He stopped short.  "Every…thing…I…hold…dear…?"  His eye was wide.  A sudden thought had occurred to him.  Hikô had taken Miaka…but there were others he cared about even more.  "Oh…Suzaku!"  He suddenly fazed out, ignoring the worried questions from the others.

He reappeared in his own house.  It was very late, and the house had not been warmed in any way for quite some time.  He did not notice the chill, though he was shirtless.  He ran to his room and flung open the door.

It was empty.  The bed was unmade, and Hana's cradle was also in disarray.  He stared numbly, unable to think.  He walked stiffly into the children's bedroom, but it was in a similar state:  empty, and the beds looked like someone had neglected to make them.

He walked back into his own room and stared into the darkness.  Despite the cold, he had started to sweat, and he began to feel terribly cold, inside and out.

"Nya…?"

Hôjun turned toward the wall and looked down.  There, near where the floor joined the wall, was a dark little shape, barely distinguishable in the darkness.  It was the cat, curled protectively in on itself, its soft, white fur spotted with red.

"T-Tama," Hôjun whispered, walking over and picking the cat up.  He held it to his bare chest, stroking it gently.  It had been flung hard against the wall, and was lucky it didn't smash its head open.  "You tried to protect them, didn't you?  Gomen nasai.  You didn't deserve this."  The cat tried to mew, but all it could manage was a small squeak.

Suddenly, in a delayed reaction, all of what happened came crashing down on him.  Hikô was a demon.  Miaka had been kidnapped.  His wife and children had been kidnapped.  His children may be dead already.  Even the cat had suffered from Hikô's seemingly undying hate for him.  Hôjun squeezed his eye shut, tears streaming down his face, and let loose a cry of grief.  Then, he knelt on the floor silently, cradling the cat against him.

A few minutes later, he teleported almost mechanically back to the inn, tears still making their way from his eye.  He had not made a sound since that initial wail.  The others stared down at his kneeling form, speechless at his unexpected disappearance and reappearance.  The only one who made a move toward him at first was Mitsukake, who took the dying cat from him, and let his healing magic fix the poor animal's injuries.

Finally, someone stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.  Hôjun raised his eye just enough to see the person's feet, and identified him by his shoes.  Tasuki.

"Chichiri," the young bandit started, seemingly at a loss for words.  "Dô shita no?"

"He took my wife and children," Hôjun responded numbly, his voice soft and flat.  "My children may already have been killed by now."  He stood up, his eye not really seeing his surroundings, and lay down on the bed, his back to the room.  "I…I want to be left alone for now, if that's all right.  Onegai?"

The others said nothing, only walking silently out of the room, apparently understanding that their senior member was under a huge amount of mental and spiritual stress.  Just as the door closed, however, he felt a small weight land on the bed.  A newly restored Tama-neko had jumped up from the floor, and climbed over his prone form until it was in front of him.  It came up to his face and began licking at his tears, not stopping until his face was dry.

"Oh, Tama," Hôjun said softly.  "You really care about me, don't you?"

"Nya!" the cat responded, pawing playfully at his bangs.  Hôjun could almost imagine the cat was smiling at him.  He reached up and pulled the cat to him, letting it snuggle up under his chin.  It began purring, its little body vibrating its contentment.  It's fur was still had bits of blood in it, but had apparently been subjected to a hasty cleaning just prior to the cat's jumping up on the bed.  That was a bit odd.  Usually, cats cleaned their fur until it fairly shined.

Hôjun paid no attention to that little fact, opting to close his eyes and concentrating on pinpointing the people he so desperately needed to find to avoid disaster.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  I had to write the last part of this chapter twice.  I didn't really like it after Chichiri realized Miaka isn't the only one Hikô took, so I erased it and rewrote it.  I'm sorry for dialogue discrepancies.  I don't understand Japanese enough to make an accurate translation, so I paraphrased from what I can make out and what I think was appropriate for the characters to say in those particular scenes.  I also shortened some conversations, because I just couldn't think of anything for them to say.  Again, gomen nasai.  I'm basing my story on the manga, not the anime, which is why Hikô and Chichiri met up before the whole bit at the inn.  For any parts where the anime and manga differ, and I gave the anime version, it's because I hadn't gotten that particular manga volume when I wrote that part.  For example, in the manga, Tasuki doesn't forget his little memory stone, and he gives it to Taka in his own house (we meet Tasuki's mother, father, and oldest sister—Aidô—in the manga!).  I didn't have volume fourteen when I wrote chapter twenty.  Since I have all of the mangas now (yay!) that kind of thing won't happen any more.  Read the manga, if you haven't.  The anime is good, but the manga is better.  That said, I should say again to PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Leave a review, or write me at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	23. Confrontation

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-Three:  Confrontation 

Hôjun sat on the bed, his eye closed, his legs crossed as if in the lotus position, but his feet were under his knees instead of on top.  His hands rested on his knees, not slack but not stiff either.  His shirt was still off, but the room was warm enough for him not to notice in the deep trance he was in at the moment.  Tama-neko, having since given its fur a thorough cleaning, lay curled up in Hôjun's lap asleep, purring happily, glad for a warm spot to sleep in again.  If Hôjun had been fully conscious and under normal circumstances, he would have smiled at the blissfully content animal and scratched it lightly behind the ears.

Now, though, his consciousness was not anywhere near the room his body was in.  It was searching intently over all of Kônan-koku, hoping to find some kind of hint as to where those he sought were.  If he couldn't find them there, he'd search Kutô-koku, then Sairô-koku, then Hokkan-koku.  If they weren't in any of the Four Kingdoms, he'd just have to try to pry his way into the Spirit Realm.

He was searching mostly for Hikô, Miaka, and Kôran.  Hikô had an unmistakable ki signature, being a Water Demon; Miaka was Suzaku no Miko, and he could pinpoint her no matter where she was; and Kôran was his soul mate, so searching for her was almost like searching for himself.  He'd be able to find them much more easily than one of his children.  Plus, if he sought out his children and found nothing but cold emptiness, which would indicate they were dead, he didn't think he'd be able to function normally, at least not for long enough to make it too late to reverse anything Hikô—and thus, Tenkô—had planned.

_Hikô,_ Hôjun thought, as if speaking to the embittered man, _I love you like a brother, but if you've harmed my children, or any of your captives, I'll—_

A sudden twinging in his soul interrupted his thoughts.  He'd found them!  They were all in the same place!  He almost reached out to see if his children were there as well, but stopped himself.  If they were dead, he'd best not find out until he got there.  It was the only way he'd stay collected enough to think straight.

He jumped off the bed, but not before he gently removed the cat, and grabbed his shirt and shoes, putting them on quickly.  He almost reached for his mask as well, but then realized it had been ruined when Hikô had slammed him against the wall.  Besides, he'd need no mask for this.  He had nothing to hide, now that everyone involved knew everything.  He took hold of his staff and walked out the door.

"Chichiri!" he heard from behind him when he started down the hall.  He turned around and saw the young bandit walking up to him.

"Tasuki!" he said.  "I've found Miaka and the others, no da!  I have to go now, no da!"  He had automatically tacked "no da" to the ends of his sentences, as if something inside him was trying to deny the seriousness of the situation.

"Ore mo…" Tasuki started.  "Take me with you!  Please!"

Hôjun stood there looking at him a second.  He didn't know how to respond to the sudden request.

"I…I have to go with you!" Tasuki continued.  "I have to make up for what I've done!  To Tamahome…to Miaka, too.  I…I can't just not do anything to make up for it!  They've forgiven me, but I'll never forgive myself until I make up for it!  I…I'd die to help them…to help all you guys!  I just…ore…"

Hôjun reached out and put a gentle hand on his younger comrade's head, showing he understood.  "You don't have to explain, no da.  We'd all give our everything to help our loved ones, even if we endangered ourselves, no da.  That's why humans can't live alone, no da.  We'd waste away from lack of friendship, no da."  He let a slight smile grace his face.  "Wakatta, no da.  We'll both go to confront Hikô—!!!!!!!"  He was suddenly cut off as an arm wrapped around his throat and he felt someone hanging off him.

"Yeah!" Taka, who now clung fully onto Hôjun, crowed.  "We'll ALL go and rescue Miaka and your family from the clutches of evil!!!!!!!!!"

"Ta-Tamahome?!" was all Hôjun could bring himself to say in response.  He had almost tipped over from Taka's weight, and Tasuki was currently holding him upright.

Taka jumped off him back to the floor, his face going from comically exaggerated determination to an expression a little more serious.  "Three people are better than two, aren't they?"

"You understand I won't be able to save you if you get in trouble, no da?" Hôjun asked, then raised his staff when Taka nodded.  "Let's go, no da!"  The rings of his staff jangled loudly as they were teleported immediately to the mouth of a cave.  They were just inside the entrance, and Hôjun stood still for a moment.  "I teleported us to the mouth of the cave, because I couldn't pinpoint them more accurately than that, no da.  Now, I know exactly where they are, no da."  He began gathering energy for a spell, and when the spell was almost ready to be fired, he teleported them all into the largest chamber in the cave, letting loose the spell as a bit of an announcement that they had arrived.

There they were.  Hikô stood close to the center of the chamber, looking as if he had just managed to deflect the spell.  Above him, Miaka floated in a large bubble full of water, clearly surprised at her Warriors' entrance.  Behind them and against the wall of the cavern, Kôran stood on a shelf of rock, looking as surprised as Miaka.  Hôjun realized with tremendous relief that she was holding their baby to her chest, and their two older children were clinging to her legs.  They were all alive and seemingly well.  Hôjun could have wept in relief if the situation didn't prohibit it.

"Hikô!" he called to the winged one, who had recovered from the initial blast.  "Let Miaka and my family go!  Or else—"

"Or else what?" Hikô chided.  It was obvious he wasn't intimidated.

"Right now, my only desires are to protect the ones I love," Hôjun replied.  "My wife and children, as well as Suzaku no Miko.  It's my duty to protect them, no matter what the cost."  He hesitated a fraction of a second to say what he said next, but knew he had to make it clear.  "To protect them, I'll kill you!"  It pained him greatly to say that to his dearest friend, but he knew he had to kill Hikô.  Not only to save Miaka and his family, but to save Hikô as well.

"Dame, Chichiri!" Miaka could be heard screaming.  Kôran said nothing, but her eyes were fixed on the scene, definite fear in them.  Her children continued to cling to her.

"I see," Hikô said, smiling maliciously.  "Well, then.  You'll have hurry up and kill me quickly if you don't want Suzaku no Miko to drown."

"Chichiri!" Taka suddenly screamed, running full tilt at Hikô.  "Leave Hikô to us!  Take care of Miaka before she dies!"

"Rekka Shin'en!" Hôjun could hear Tasuki cry out, and the room suddenly got about twenty degrees warmer as the bandit's fire exploded toward the waiting Water Demon.  Hikô, not alarmed in the slightest, erected a water barrier around himself, warding off the magical flames with ease.  "A water shield?!" Tasuki exclaimed in annoyance.  "My fire can't get through that!"

He and Taka had no time to do or say anything else before an impossible amount of fist-sized water missiles came barreling toward them.  It was all they could do to dance wildly around in a mad attempt to keep from getting hit.

"Tamahome!" Hôjun cried.  "Tasuki!"

As suddenly as it started, the barrage of water missiles stopped, leaving Taka and Tasuki on the ground, breathing hard.  They both had a fair amount of new bruises.

"Hôjun, you don't seem to be attacking," Hikô said.  "It seems as if Suzaku no Miko's life isn't enough to make you act."  He suddenly smiled chillingly.  "Maybe you need a little more motivation.  It's also a good time to show you my powers aren't restricted to just water."

Hôjun was about to ask what he meant when he heard a scream from Kôran.  His head whipped around in her direction, and his eye flew wide when he realized all three of his children were struggling to breathe, their air supplies suddenly and completely shut off.  Kôran could do nothing, and the look on her face showed she was agonized that she couldn't save any of her darling children.

Something inside Hôjun snapped.  He knew very well Hikô hated his children with a vengeance, but to actually see him attacking them like this was just too much for his sanity to handle.

He began walking toward Hikô, his eye blazing, his battle aura rising up around him, making him look like a demon himself in its intensity.  "Let them go," he growled through clenched teeth.  "Let them all go."

"I'm sorry," Hikô replied calmly with a smirk.  "You'll have to make me do that, I'm afraid."

"_I said let them go, damn you!_" Hôjun shrieked, lunging toward Hikô and swinging his staff in a deadly arc.  The staff connected squarely with the side of Hikô's head, knocking him down with enough force to slam his head against the rock floor.  Such a blow would kill any human easily, but Hikô was merely stunned momentarily, gasping in surprise and pain.  Hôjun lunged again, but Hikô raised his arm, and just when Hôjun reached him, a wall of water suddenly rose up, taking the maddened Seishi with it, and smashing him down against the tiered rock floor.

Everyone stood still.  Hikô had released the children from the chokehold to concentrate his powers on attacking Hôjun.  Baby Hana clutched at her mother's chest again, while Kôran, Tori, Seiryoku, Taka, Tasuki, and Miaka could only stare dumbly at the crumpled body of Ri Hôjun as the water drained away again.  The mage lay completely still in one of the pools dotting the cave floor, facedown, the water underneath him slowly turning a sickening red.

After a minute of total silence, everyone but Hikô gasped when Hôjun began moving, dragging himself slowly and weakly along the water-covered floor, turning all water he touched to red with his own blood.  "Hi…Hikô…I c…c-can't…let y-you…win…"  He stopped and coughed violently, bright red blood flowing from his mouth down his chin and neck.  He collapsed back down, shuddering.  He gathered all the energy his could in his weakened state, trying to heal his body at least to the point where he wouldn't die immediately.  He was very well aware that his attempts to heal may very well kill him.

Hikô was the only one that wasn't too stunned to speak.  "Let's see how long your spirit clings uselessly to your ruined body, Hôjun," he said quietly.

"Hikô!  Yamete!" a sudden cry rang out.  All heads, save Hôjun's, turned in the direction it came from.  Kôran.  She had finally found her voice after her shock at her husband's injury.

"Stop?" Hikô asked quizzically.  "Why?  Hôjun will soon be dead, and then I'll be free to kill his Miko and his children."

"That's my point!" Kôran cried, tears running down her cheeks.  "I don't want you to kill them!  I only want you to let us go and leave us alone!  Please, I'm begging you!"

"Leave you alone?" Hikô repeated.  "Demo…I don't want to leave you alone, Kôran!  I love you!  I've always loved you!  You know that!"

"I hate you!!!!!!!!" she suddenly screeched, her eyes burning with a fury that had never been seen in them before.  "I hate you for everything you've done!  First, you almost tear Hôjun and me apart, then you try to kill my husband and children!  You're doing it because you _love_ me?!  Because you _care_ for me?!  You think I'll come to you after all I hold dear are dead?!"  She looked away from him, her voice lowering to barely above a whisper.  "I hate you.  I can't stand the sight of you."

"K…Kôran," Hôjun rasped, barely loud enough to hear, "no…"

Hikô stood very, very still, his eyes fixed on the object of his affections.  Slowly, almost mechanically, he began walking toward her.  Kôran quickly handed Hana to Tori and shooed her children toward the wall, away from the approaching demon.  His eyes were intense, brightly burning golden-yellow.  His face was otherwise blank.

"You…you can't mean that," he said, his voice flat.  "You…you're too kind and gentle to let you hate anyone.  You said so yourself when we were growing up."  He stepped up onto the rock shelf, grabbed her upper arms, and shook her twice.  "You can't mean that!  _Take it back!!!!!!!!!_"

"I do," she moaned, her tears continuing to fall.  "I've never hated anyone before, and it hurts more than anything for it to be you, but I really do hate you.  I…I…"  She buried her face in her hands, cringing away from him.  "Let me go!  Don't touch me!  Please…"

Hikô released her suddenly enough as to make her almost fall backward.  He backed away from her, shaking his head slightly back and forth.  His eyes were wide, disbelieving, hurt beyond measuring.  He almost stumbled when he stepped off the shelf, but barely noticed.

"Tenkô-sama," Hikô said quietly, his hands raising to his head and burying themselves in his hair.  "Y-you said I would have her, if I only served you.  You said I could change her heart, if only I followed your every order.  You promised…you promised…"  He suddenly threw his head back, his fingers tearing at his hair, and screamed to the ceiling, "_You said she would love me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_"

Before anyone could react, the water at his feet suddenly rose up around him in a huge waterspout, reaching to the ceiling and spreading out five feet all around him.  The cavern shook violently, and bits of limestone fell from the ceiling and walls.  Waves of water were flung outward from the water tornado, and crushing winds threw everybody to the ground, except Miaka, who was still in the bubble, and Hôjun, who was already on the ground.

_Hikô!_ Hôjun thought, feeling as if he would die from the buffeting winds, as well as from blood loss and broken insides.  _He's trying to kill himself!_

Suddenly, the waterspout collapsed, the winds and trembling walls ceasing just as abruptly.  The bubble around Miaka broke, dropping a nearly unconscious Miko to the floor.  Taka was just barely able to get up and lunge in time to break her fall.  At the same time, the ward around the shelf of rock Kôran and her children were on shuddered, became visible for a second, then faded out of existence.

All eyes turned to Hikô, who stood completely still in the middle of the cavern, his eyes closed, his nearly transparent wings drooping, his hair falling loose and wet around his shoulders.  He raised his head and looked at Kôran, his face twisted in anguish.

"You've killed me, Kôran," he whispered mournfully, then dissolved into water and collapsed to the floor.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Ha!  I cut it off at a pivotal point! :P  I wanna keep you all in suspense.  Don't worry; chapter twenty-four will pick up right where this chapter left off.  So, how do you all like my version of the fight?  I had to think a while as to how Hikô would be defeated, because I wanted something different to happen than in the original manga/anime, where Chichiri tries to get Tasuki to kill him, and then drag Hikô along with him.  Did I do a good job, or did I go overboard with making Kôran confess she hates the man she once thought of as a brother?  That sort of thing would totally destroy Hikô's psyche to the point where he would want to kill himself, but did I go too far in making her hate him?  I'd like to know what you all think.  Please tell me either in a review or at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	24. Farewell

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-Four:  Farewell 

The cavern was silent.  Kôran stood still, her face deathly pale.  Hikô's last words to her were echoing relentlessly in her mind that she had killed him…she had killed him…she had killed him…

She felt a slight tug at her skirt and looked down into the faces of her two older children.  She knelt down and took Hana and hugged her to her chest again, then pulled Tori and Seiryoku to her with her other arm.  She couldn't speak.  All she could do was weep quietly.

Hôjun had felt a cold dread well up inside of him when he heard Hikô's last words to Kôran.  Gathering the last tatters of strength he had left, he began to drag himself over to where Hikô had stood not half a minute before.  His strength gave out and he collapsed back to the floor again with a cry of despair.  He couldn't do it.  He was going to die.  He was going to leave his wife and children alone in the world.

Someone knelt down beside him, and he managed to turn his head up to look into uncommonly somber amber eyes.  It was Tasuki.  The bandit reached down and pulled him up into his arms.

"Take strength from me," Tasuki said, sounding as if he was going to cry.  Hôjun readily took the offered mental link, and he felt warmth wash over him as the bandit's fiery ki flowed into his body and spirit.  He took only enough to keep himself from dying, then abruptly broke off the link, despite Tasuki's protests.

"Please," Hôjun rasped, "help me…over to Hikô."  He coughed once, a bit of blood spattering Tasuki's shirt.  "Onegai."

Tasuki look uncertain as to what to do at first, but then stood up, pulling Hôjun with him.  Hôjun wouldn't let Tasuki pick him up completely, only letting the bandit support him as he weakly stumbled over the uneven cave floor.

Hikô was not gone, not yet.  In the large pool of water he had dissolved into, his faint image still shone, wavering, weak.  He was barely alive, and dying slowly.  Hôjun suddenly broke away from Tasuki and fell to his knees at the edge of the pool, tears spilling from both his eyes.  He somehow managed to stay on his knees, and not fall completely to the ground.  He reached out shakily and took one of Hikô's barely tangible hands.

"Hikô!" he sobbed.  "Gomen nasai!  Gomen nasai!"

"Don't apologize," Hikô's ghostly voice replied.  "This is all my fault.  I was stupid enough to let that monster snare me and turn me into a demon."

"I don't care!" Hôjun insisted.  "I won't let you take all the blame!"

"Think what you wish, Hôjun," Hikô said, his voice a little fainter.  "It's all my fault, as far as I can see.  I never loved Kôran.  I can see that, now that Tenkô's hold on me has been broken.  It _was_ merely a crush, like she said.  He just took that crush and twisted it into something I believed was true love.  He may have been working on me long before I died, in anticipation of your role as a Seishi."

"Oh, Hikô…"  Hôjun clutched at the hand like his life depended on it.

"I don't know why I didn't see it," Hikô continued.  "It was plain to see you two belonged with each other.  Soul mates.  I was an idiot to think I could break the bond and take her as my own.  She said she hated me.  You must as well."

"I don't hate you, Hikô," Hôjun said quietly, sincerely.  "And, neither does Kôran.  She couldn't hate you.  She was just upset.  That wasn't real hate she was feeling.  I felt it in her soul."  Even through his tears, Hôjun could see the confusion in Hikô's disappearing eyes.

"Naze…?" he whispered.  "You have every right to hate me."

"It wasn't your fault!" Hôjun insisted.

"I should have resisted," Hikô replied.  "I should have backed off once I saw how much you two were meant for each other.  But, no.  I went along with what Tenkô was doing to me.  I had plenty of doubts, and many times, I felt close to letting my feelings for her go, but I gave into them in the end."

"Hikô…you…"

"It doesn't matter what you say," Hikô said.  "It is my fault, no matter what bewitchment I was under.  I let it happen.  I destroyed our friendship.  We couldn't trust each other.  We were not friends, not anymore…"

"What are you saying?!" Hôjun sudden burst out.  "You and I were best friends!  We still are!  We will always be!  I love you!  Brothers in all but blood!  Nothing will change that!  Dakara…"

"I return," Hikô said softly, "to the water now.  Hôjun…I'm sorry…"  He closed his eyes for the final time and vanished from the pool of water, the formless hand in Hôjun's grasp dissolving into nothing.  All that was left of the man was the smooth ring of stone that had been bound to his forehead.

"Hi…kô…" Hôjun breathed, staring down at the small piece of ornamentation.  At that moment, Kôran raised her head, finally having been able to stop her tears.  Her eyes met his, and she almost withered at the overwhelming sadness she saw in her husband's face.

With a groan, Hôjun sudden went boneless, collapsing to the wet stone, all his strength gone from him.  He passed out a few seconds later, the last thing he heard being Kôran's frightened voice calling his name.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He awoke later, lying on something soft, an even softer touch caressing his cheek.  He lay there a few minutes, then opened his eye to see that he was back in the inn, his beloved wife sitting beside him on the bed, stroking his cheek.  She smiled down at him when she saw he was awake.

"Mm…Kôran, no da?" he said drowsily.  "How did we get back here, no da?"

"I'm not sure, Koibito," she replied.  "Not long after you passed out, a red light suddenly rose up and brought us back here.  Perhaps Suzaku took pity on us and personally returned us to safety."

"Maybe, no da," Hôjun said, and closed his eye again.  It snapped open a split second later as he suddenly remembered something.  "The children, no da!"  He sat bolt upright in the bed.

"Daijôbu, Hôjun," Kôran soothed.  "They sleep beside you.  Look."  He did look, and saw that they were curled up beside him in the large bed.  Tama-neko was there, too, snuggled up between Tori and Seiryoku.  Hana was on the other side of him, and she was wide-awake, Kôran's hand resting protectively near her.  She cooed and reached her tiny little arms up to her father.  He picked her up and hugged her gently to his bare chest.  "Mitsukake healed your body, Hôjun, but he said only the children and I can heal the wound in your soul."  She took a hold of his chin and turned his somber face to her.  "Will you let me, Hôjun?  Please don't shut me out like you've done so many other times."

Hôjun bowed his head.  She was right.  He had occasionally let his guard down and spilled his heart to her when something was wrong, but that was a rare happening.  He usually kept his pain and helplessness locked up inside, wishing not to burden his wife with his troubles.  "Hai…I will let you, no da."

He told her everything that had been said as Hikô lay dying.  Tears started flowing slowly down his face as he spoke.

"He didn't believe me!" he whispered.  "He kept saying it was all his fault!  He wouldn't even listen to me when I said we didn't hate him!  You…you don't really hate him, do you?"

"Iie," she assured him.  "I shouldn't have said that.  I…I was just so afraid for you and the others that I didn't know what I was saying.  I wish I hadn't."  She had her arms around him, mindful of Hana in his arms, and stroked his hair soothingly.  It was all she could really do at the moment.  "At least he's free now, ne?"

"Iie," he said, a sudden, disturbing darkness settling in his eye, eclipsing the ever-present darkness in it from loss after loss.  "Tenkô's immediate hold on Hikô had been broken, so he can think for himself again.  But, Tenkô still has overall possession of his soul."  He hesitated a moment, then added, "Tenkô must be defeated utterly, if we don't want Hikô damned for eternity for his service under Tenkô.  Same for a young brother and sister he also has possession of."

Kôran looked up at him, cold terror and fear filling her eyes.  "You mean…Hikô is…"

"Iie," Hôjun said before she could finish her question.  "I don't think he is in Hell right now.  What I mean by damned is I think he is in some kind of void with Renhô and Miisû—the brother and sister—for Tenkô to manipulate them, if he so chooses.  The bodies he gave them may be dead, but their spirits are still his to command, no matter that their ability to think freely has been returned to them.  I can only pray that he does not decide to use them against us again.  Slavery with free thought is worse than slavery while brainwashed."

"Oh…no…" Kôran murmured, shaking slightly.  "Hikô…those poor siblings…"

"The only way to completely exorcize them and set them free would be Tenkô's death," Hôjun continued gravely.  "I may be wrong about all this, but my gut feeling says I am close to the truth.  And, not only are the fates of those three souls at stake, but the fates of two worlds.  This…this will be the greatest battle for the Suzaku Shichi Seishi yet.  We may be completely alone in the fight.  Tenkô seems powerful enough to ensnare Suzaku himself in a trap, and perhaps the other gods as well, if he tried hard enough."

Kôran shuddered, remembering her encounter with the Demon God.  She had been forced to let him touch her, and he had made her stare into his eyes, his almost physically piercing eyes.  It was something she would never forget, no matter how much she tried.

"Sleep now," she said, taking Hana from his arms, and gently pushing him back into a lying position.  "You need to save your strength for this fight."

He nodded and pulled her down with him to lie on his chest, holding her tight.  As he drifted back into a light sleep, he made a mental note to teleport his wife and children straight home as soon as he woke up again.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Yes, I know it's been forever since I updated last, but school and work got in the way.  Now that the Christmas shopping frenzy is over and I'm on Winter Break from school, I should get at least a couple more chapters written and posted by the time I return to school.  I don't think chapter twenty-four here was my best work, but it will suffice.  Please, please, please give me feedback, no da!  I really, really, really want to know what you think of my story so far!  Either review the story or send an email to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  Oh!  And, wish me good luck in getting more _X_ mangas (which I've been collecting since I got all the _Fushigi Yûgi_ mangas).  I need to convince my mom to take me down to Kinokuniya Bookstore to get them (I'm so lucky to live near one!).


	25. Phoenix

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-Five:  Phoenix 

The world was coming to an end.

_Not yet, no da_, Hôjun reminded himself, trying to keep himself under control.  Fury, fear, and hopelessness were quickly taking him over, and he could feel the same emotions overtaking the other Seishi as well.  The current circumstances seemed to insist him in denial.

Miaka was dead, killed by the man she loved.  No, not the _man_ she loved.  The _memories_ of the man she loved, implanted in a puppet body and sent to betray and kill them all.  The puppet Tamahome had been overwhelmed with jealousy and rage when she had refused him, choosing Sukunami Taka instead.  Now, his anger had led her to her death in her attempt to save Taka's life.

He, Hotohori, Nuriko, Tasuki, Mitsukake, and Chiriko were trying everything they could to get through the barrier Tenkô had cast on the door leading to Tamahome, Taka, and Miaka.  Nothing was working.  All they could do was watch as Taka seemed to be looking at something that was not there, and then get up and advance on his unstable mirror image.  Tamahome was clearly as devastated over Miaka's death as Taka, and all he seemed able to do was back away from Taka, blasting at him with his ki, demanding Taka stay back.  His voice was high-pitched with hysteria.

Hôjun and the others could barely hear what Taka was saying, they saw him embrace Tamahome…there was a scream, a bright flash of light, and they were suddenly somewhere else.  It took Hôjun a moment to realize where they were.  They were in front of Tenkô's citadel, the center of the demonically created city that hovered over Tokyo.  There was only one Tamahome left.  The Suzaku Shichi Seishi champion was finally whole once again.

Hôjun felt it, just like all the other Seishi.  The beaten body that lay at Tamahome's feet was alive, her spirit somehow returned.

"Nani?!" Hôjun and Tasuki cried at the same time.

"How can that be?!" Hotohori said, his eyes wide in confusion and the mixture of volatile emotions they had all been feeling since the battle began.  "We felt her die!  _We felt her die!_"

"No time!" Tasuki answered, determination burning in his amber eyes.  "C'mon!"

Hôjun and the others followed him, running over to Miaka and Tamahome, gathering around them.

"You forgot us, you stupid bastard!" Tasuki grinned to Tenkô, brandishing his tessen.

There was nothing else to do.  While Chiriko and Mitsukake went over to Miaka to try to heal her so she didn't die again, the other five Seishi leapt into battle tactics, throwing everything they had at the smirking Demon God before them.  Nothing worked.  Not Hotohori's sword, not Nuriko's strength, not Hôjun's magic, not Tasuki's fire…not even Tamahome's powerful ki attacks could even touch him.

"Tamahome-san!" Chiriko could be heard shouting.  "Miaka-san is alive!"

"Daijôbu da, Tamahome!" Mitsukake added, having finished the healing job.  "She will be all right, but she needs protection!"

Tamahome turned to go to Miaka, but Hôjun, Tasuki, and the others were suddenly engulfed in a powerful attack, strong enough to disintegrate the very ground beneath their feet.  Hôjun barely had enough time to throw up a shield to protect them.  He was almost forced to his knees as the barrier spell was strained to its limit.

Then, they all heard something they never expected to hear.  Two voices, Tamahome's and Miaka's, speaking the sacred chant that brought the mighty Phoenix God to the Material Plane.  Everything stopped as the two lovers were engulfed in a ball of fire.  Suzaku's fire.

_Demo…what are they summoning him _with_, no da?!_ Hôjun thought, confused.  _Of course, no da!  Their love, no da!  Love is the source of Suzaku's power, no da!_

Tamahome and Miaka completely disappeared, the flames forming themselves into a tall, slender, humanoid shape…

And, there he stood, his deep-crimson wings spread wide, his face a serene mask of concentration.  Suzaku, their lord and protector, the Phoenix God himself.  The deity put his hands together, and the entire demonic city suddenly erupted in a massive explosion.  Everyone looked toward Tenkô and blinked in surprise.  His flesh seemed to be drying out, his body beginning to look like that of a half-decomposed corpse.

"Yûki Miaka…Sukunami Taka…" Tenkô's deep voice growled.  "I should have destroyed you two long ago, and not given you the chance to do this to me!"  He looked at Suzaku, the red-clothed god watching him calmly.  "I…I can't be beaten!  I am a god!"

At that moment, Hôjun found himself thinking of Hikô, and reached up to finger the circular stone hanging around his neck on a string, the only thing of Hikô's physical entity remaining.  His head jerked up, eye wide, as he heard a small, scared voice echo in his mind.

_Hikô!_ he sent back, recognizing immediately the voice.

_Hôjun!_ Hikô cried again, sounding terrified.  _Hôjun, tasukete!  Onegai!  He's intent on dragging us down to Hell with him!_  Hôjun got a mental image of Hikô kneeling in a pitch-black void, his arms around the figures of a frightened Renhô and Miisû clutching at him, all three of them trembling violently, so scared that tears were on their faces.  Without another thought, Hôjun ran toward the dying Demon God.

"Chichiri!" Suzaku shouted, surprised at his Seishi's actions.  "Stay back!"  The frantic cries of the other Seishi could be heard also.  But, it was too late.

"You fool!" Tenkô cried, satisfied.  He reached out and caught the unfortunate Seishi, taking complete control of him.  The entirety of a Seishi's powerful ki—especially one as strong and well skilled as Hôjun—would be enough to heal him from Suzaku's attack, and give him another opportunity to himself attack.

Hôjun gasped and then screamed as evil power wrapped around him, pure cold lancing through him, pain exploding in every fiber of his being as his life force was drawn out of him.

"Chichiri!!!!!!!!!!" a voice screamed, and Hôjun felt the cold disappear with a snap, warmth taking its place, two strong arms wrapping tightly around him.  Hôjun instinctively clutched at his savior, his self-preservation instinct kicking in.  As his savoir landed in a kneeling position, Hôjun opened his eye and realized with a shock just whose arms held him so protectively.

"Su…Suzaku-seikun, no da!" he gasped.  He shut right up as a wave a dread washed over him.  The look of fury in the god's eyes promised doom to any who dared to cross him.

"How dare you?!" Suzaku hissed, clearly enraged further than anyone had ever seen him before.  "How _dare_ you try to take him?!  One of _my_ Seishi?!  I have lost four already!  I _refuse_ to lose any more!"  He clenched his teeth for a moment, then began speaking again, more calmly.  "You are not a god, Tenkô.  You are only the vengeance-mad ghost of a prince from Ancient Japan.  Yes, you are stronger than me and each of my brothers, but against all of us, you are weak."

Hôjun stayed conscious long enough to see three other divine beings emerge from the storm of power the demonic city had been consumed in since Suzaku's first attack.  Then, the amount of ki Tenkô had managed to drain from him caught up to him, and he fainted dead away.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hôjun awoke to all-surrounding warmth, and he was being held comfortably by someone tall and slender.  He got the distinct impression they were floating.

"Hnn…koko…doko?" he muttered before opening his eyes.

"Open your eyes," a rarely heard yet familiar voice said softly.  "We are in the space between the Miko world and our world."

"Suzaku-seikun," Hôjun whispered, "why did you bring me here, no da?"

"You needed to be healed, my son, and normal healing magic would not do the job," the god answered, loosening his grip, but still keeping Hôjun close to him.  "That attack left you tainted with dark magic, and you needed to be cleansed, or the evil would take you over."

"Tenkô…dead?" Hôjun asked, feeling stronger by the minute.

Suzaku nodded once.  "Hai."

Hôjun closed his eye, but quickly opened it again when he remembered someone.  "Hikô…!"

"Daijôbu desu yo," Suzaku soothed, his voice comforting.  "He, Renhô, and Miisû are free.  The vision you saw of them was just an illusion Tenkô gave you to draw you near him.  He held their spirits captive, but they were released to Heaven as soon as he was defeated.  He never would have been able to take them to Hell with him."

Hôjun exhaled.  "Yokatta, no da."  He looked back up to the Phoenix God, a question in his eye.  "Why did you save me, no da?  I am only one person, no da.  Plus, it is my own fault I was caught by that illusion, no da."

"It is like I told Tenkô, Chichiri," Suzaku explained.  "I had already lost four of my Seishi.  I didn't intend to lose any others."  He sighed and bowed his head.  "I was not visible to people on the Material Plane, but I wept bitterly over each of my Seishi's graves.  They all died far before their time."  He looked up again, sadness in his eyes.  "The war between my Seishi and Seiryû's was the most unfortunate thing to happen in recent times, until Tenkô began his assault on the worlds.  All of the Four Beast Gods care greatly for their Seishi, but I care for mine more than any of my brothers do for theirs.  No, I don't care for them, I love them."

"Suzaku-seikun," Hôjun whispered, sorrow of his own welling up.  "Why do you always look so sad?  You look as if your life is nothing but despair.  I never thought the God of Love could look so downcast until I saw you for the first time."

"Yes, I am the God of Love," Suzaku answered.  "Love can be the most joyful emotion someone feels, but love can also be sorrow.  I love all living things, from humans to animals to insects to plants…they all mean everything to me.  The sorrow on my face is the sorrow I feel daily for them, for the pain of living.  Suffering is everywhere, in one form or another.  Many humans hold me as the most compassionate of the Four Gods, and I believe they are right.  I have shed many tears for the sake of the living."  Even as he said this, a single tear slipped from his eye, leaving a glistening trail over his smooth cheek.

Hôjun, moved to pity, instinctively reached up and brushed the tear away.  Suzaku seemed snapped out of his thoughts.

"Sumimasen," the god apologized, drying his moistened eyes.  "I got lost in my thoughts."  He smiled gently down to Hôjun.  "Don't worry about me.  Life is not all pain.  It is not only sorrow I feel.  Watching the happiness life can bring to the living gives me great joy.  Like your children.  I rarely see children more contented."

"Yokatta, no da" Hôjun sighed.  He was greatly relieved the god he served found happiness watching mortals, and not just endless sadness, as he perpetual expression suggested.

"Now, then," Suzaku said, a rare almost-grin coming to his face.  "I should get you back to your friends at Daikyoku-zan.  I don't want to keep them waiting for you."

Hôjun hadn't time to respond before he felt a surge of power sweep through him.  When next he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar landscape of Tai'itsukun's mountain, and he knew in his heart that the long struggle was finally over.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  The idea for this came on a spur-of-the-moment inspiration.  The Four Gods are portrayed in the manga and anime as stoic, serious divinities, any emotions barely recognizable and quickly passing.  Besides, we see Genbu and Byakko only once and Seiryû thrice, very few times compared to all the other characters.  Suzaku's appearances in book fourteen, prolonged as they were, really weren't enough to show us much of his character.  I decided to at least give him a little more depth, he being my favorite of the four.  Quite the—*drooooooool*—bishônen, I might add! ^_^V  *ahem*  Anyway, how did this chapter turn out?  Good?  Not good?  Please, please, please, let me know!  Either leave a review or send an email to mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!  This fic is my pride and joy, and I would really like to know if it's still entertaining (I never thought I'd stretch it out _this_ long)!


	26. Closure

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-Six:  Closure 

Night.

Hôjun, for the first time in what felt like ages, lay asleep in his own bed, his arms protectively around his sleeping wife.  He had just gotten home the preceding day, and his spirit was infinitely relieved that the months-long nightmare was now over.

He had always woken up periodically during his nights, and then fallen back asleep a few minutes later.  Now, he opened his eye to darkness, seeing the familiar outlines of the inside of his bedroom.  Not for the first time, he sighed in relief, glad he had not woken up to find that he was not home after all.  The comforting warmth of his dear Kôran lying beside him in the bed was further proof of that.  He smiled and placed a light kiss upon her forehead.

Moonlight peeking through a crack in the window shutters caught on something smooth and shiny on the bedside table.  It was the circular stone necklace Ho Jun had recently acquired, the pendant the same stone Hikô had worn bound to his forehead.  Ho Jun reached over, careful not to disturb his wife, and picked up the necklace.  It was cool to the touch, the smooth surface displaying no anomaly.

_I gave this to Hikô when we were still children, no da_, Hôjun thought sadly.  _And yet, he kept it, even when he claimed to hate me more than anything else, no da.  He must have been unconsciously protesting against Tenkô's control, even as he bowed down to him, no da._  Hôjun's heart clenched as he remembered Hikô insisting it was all his fault, that he could have fought back against Tenkô's brainwashing.

He felt sleep overcoming him again, and he replaced the necklace back on the table.  He let himself be taken by nothingness again, his last thoughts before fading out being how much he missed his dearest friend.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hôjun sat at the base of the willow tree by the river.  It was a little after noon, and he wanted to just sit down and think about things.  Every once in a while, his hand would reach up to finger the necklace pendant.  He usually kept it under his shirt, to protect it from damage, but it was hanging outside now.

_Hikô_, Hôjun thought pensively, _are you free from your inner demons, now, no da?  Tenkô no longer has you, but are you at peace with yourself, no da?  If only I could speak to you one last time to see if you are or not, no da._

"Hôjun?" a soft voice said from someone just coming up the hill.  "Daijôbu?  You've been sitting staring at the river for nearly an hour now."

Hôjun turned to his wife and gave her a small smile.  "Daijôbu, no da.  I'm just thinking about stuff, no da.  I was probably going to get up soon anyway, no da."  He wasn't so sure how true that last statement would have been if Kôran hadn't come up the hill.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, sitting beside him and leaning against him, putting her arms around him.  She sounded slightly hesitant to hear his answer.

Hôjun hesitated, but finally whispered, "Hikô, no da.  I'm wondering if he is at peace with himself now, no da.  He showed so much grief over what he had done as he lay dying, no da.  I just wish there was some way I could find out if he is free from that guilt, now that he is free from both Tenkô and life, no da."

"Mm," Kôran murmured.  After several years of marriage to him, and many more years of being one of his best friends before they wedded, she knew that he lapsed into these almost trance-like bouts of deep thought, and it was not a good idea to try to force him out of one.  If brought out of it before he brought himself out of it, he was disoriented, and he usually looked almost frightened.  It was different if he was sensing a call from afar.  Then, he usually shook his head and blinked a few times, as if refocusing his eye.  But, when he sunk down into his own thoughts, he meant to shut the world out, and was very reluctant to come out before he was ready.  He was not as deep this time as he could be, since he was speaking lucidly to her, but he was still rather immersed in his train of thought.

After several more minutes of staring at the water, he spoke again.  "I wonder if he can see us right now, no da."

"Hai, I can see you quite plainly."

Both Hôjun and Kôran jumped at that voice, and whipped their heads around to their left.  There, kneeling a few feet away from them, was Hikô.  Or, more accurately, a translucent image of Hikô.

"Hikô, no da!" Hôjun gasped, surprised.  "You…you're a—"

"Hai, I am a ghost," Hikô replied.  "Demo, it's not because I refuse to go to the Afterlife, mind you.  Suzaku-seikun thought the three of us should be able to say goodbye in a little more friendly setting than when we were last all together.  So, he sent me here, to the Material Plane, again for a few minutes."

Hôjun got a distinct feeling his god had been listening in to his thoughts.  But, rather than feel offended at the invasion of privacy, he took advantage of this opportunity.  "Hikô, are you…at peace with yourself, no da?"

"Hai," Hikô's ghost answered, nodding once.  "I have been able to forgive myself, though it did take a little talking-to by Suzaku-seikun.  He's managed to convince me that it all was, after all, unavoidable."

"So," Kôran ventured quietly, "you don't hold yourself completely responsible anymore?"

"Iie," Hikô said.  "I have done away with my guilt over that.  I've realized that dwelling over the past doesn't make anything any better."

"I hope you know that we don't hate you, Hikô, no da," Hôjun said, feeling relieved.  "I wouldn't hate you for the world, and neither would Kôran, no da.  We love you, no da.  I trusted you more than my own brother, and I'm sure Kôran felt the same way, no da."

Hikô smiled softly and bowed his head slightly in thanks.  "Yokatta.  I know you said it before, but hearing it again, when I'm not absorbed in blaming myself, makes it seem more real to me.  Arigatô, you two.  Arigatô gozaimasu."  He looked up to them again.  "Sayonara.  Till we meet again."  With that, he disappeared.

"Sayonara, Hikô," Hôjun whispered.  He suddenly felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders, and he could finally breathe again after many years of suffocating.  Kôran sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye.

_Hôjun_,a voice said in their heads, causing them to jump again.  _I have healed my scars, for the most part.  You should heal your own._

Hôjun looked down to Kôran.  The look in her eyes showed that she had heard as well.

"What do you suppose he means, no da?" Hôjun asked softly, though he had an idea.

"I think," Kôran began, "maybe…"  She trailed off, her hand coming up to his face, her fingertips gently tracing the scar that slashed across the left side of his face.  He flinched at the touch, but did not pull away.  Kôran continued, sounding a little surer.  "Didn't one of your fellow Seishi give you some healing water?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Are you sure, Hôjun?" Kôran asked, sitting at the foot of the bed, facing her husband, who was sitting at the head.

"No, I'm not really sure, no da," he replied.  In his hand, he held the little sealed jar of holy water that Mitsukake had given him.  The deceased Seishi had given it to him purposely for his eye, should Hôjun ever wish to heal the scar.  Now, Hôjun was trying to decide if he should do that or not.  "What do you think I should do, no da?"

"I'm not saying anything," she said.  "It should be all your decision, Hôjun.  I don't want to help you make a decision you may come to regret later."

"Demo…what would you _like_ me to do, no da?  It may or may not affect my decision, no da."

"I won't tell you that until after you make your decision, Hôjun."

"Well, you're certainly no help, no da," Hôjun said in mock irritation.  He sighed.

"Maybe you should do something else right now," Kôran suggested.  "It will get your mind off of it, and then a decision may be easier."

"Iie, no da," he disagreed.  "It will just gnaw at my brain all the more if I try to ignore it, no da."

"Well, then…would you like to be left alone?"

"Iie, no da," he said.  After a few minutes of thinking, he continued.  "Stay with me, no da.  I want your help, no da."

"I've already said that I won't give my opinion until you make your own decision, Hôjun."

"It's not that, no da.  I've made my decision, no da.  I want help putting this stuff on the scar, no da."  His voice was very soft.

"Are…" Kôran began.  "Are you completely sure, Hôjun?"  She didn't want him healing the scar and then deciding later that he shouldn't have.

"Hai, no da," he whispered, closing his eye.  "I have had this scar for over eight years now, no da.  I kept it as a reminder of my sins against Hikô.  I didn't even think of removing it, even though a scar like this on one's face can attract ridicule, and even fear, like…like in that village near Daikyoku-zan, no da."  The memories of that day were still etched painfully clear in his mind.  "But, now…Hikô suggested I heal this scar, no da.  I guess it was a last request of his, after a fashion, no da.  If he wants me to get rid of it, when he was the reason I kept it, I don't think I have the right to ignore his suggestion, no da."

"Wakatta," Kôran said, moving toward him.  She took the jar from his hands.  "Lie down, then.  It will be easier to do this if you are flat."  He obeyed, but then posed a question.

"Where are Tori and Seiryoku, no da?" he asked.  "I haven't seen them in a while."  At the moment, baby Hana was asleep in her cradle next to the bed, but he had no idea where his two older children were.

"They're playing with some friends in the town square," Kôran answered, carefully unsealing the jar.  "Now, close your eye, and hold still."

Hôjun closed his right eye, a feeling of nervousness creeping over him.  What will it feel like?  Will it hurt?  Will there be enough water?  Will he regret the decision after it cannot be undone?  He forcibly calmed his mind, assuring himself that all will go well.

Kôran carefully tipped the small jar over where his left eye used to be, taking extra care not to let it flow out too quickly.  She didn't want to waste any and risk a shortage.  She let if fall on the rough band of flesh cutting across his face in drips, making sure every part of it was dampened.

Hôjun sucked in his breath, hissing.  It stung badly, and he could feel the water seeping into his skin and working it's magic on the old wound.  It penetrated down to where the bone had been scratched, and went deep into the eye socket, healing from the inside out, slowly but surely fixing the grievous injury that nearly cost him his life.  He had been exceedingly lucky it had not become infected, or that the long splinters that claimed his eye did not punch through the thin back of the socket and pierce his brain.  He had also lost enough blood that it would have probably killed him, had he not had his Seishi power buried deep inside him.

He groaned and put his hand up to his face as Kôran pulled away, the entire scar covered with a thin film of the water.  The sting spread though the entire upper-left quarter of his face, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.  He felt the skin smoothing and becoming new again, and a distinct fullness was growing in the socket where there had only been empty space and scar tissue before.

After about two minutes, he sat up slowly, his hand still mostly over his eye.  He sat there a minute, his head bowed, and he shook his head once, as if to clear it.  After a minute, he took his hand away, raised his head…

…and opened both his eyes.

"Hôjun," Kôran whispered softly.  He looked at her, his gaze again two mahogany-brown pools, so deep she could swear she could dive right in.  He hadn't looked at her like this for over eight years, and she felt a shiver pass through her.  She reached up and stroked his face.  "Beautiful…"

Hôjun put his hand on hers, holding it to his cheek.  "It feels…strange…to see from both eyes again, no da," he whispered.  "But…it also feels…good, no da."

Kôran smiled at him, and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tight hug.  He had finally exorcised his demons, had finally put his painful past behind him.  She felt happy tears well up in her eyes.

He embraced her back, his face turned slightly skyward.  _Arigatô…Hikô…Mitsukake…no da._

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  I don't think this chapter was my best work, but I like it well enough.  Some of you may want to kill me for getting rid of The Scar, but I thought he should have gotten rid of it after being forgiven by Hikô.  I know many of you will agree with me, right?  Hai, hai, it means he doesn't wear that kawaii little mask of his anymore, but don't worry.  He'll still keep it, though he won't wear it.  It'll be a keepsake to remind him that not everything goes the way it should (most things don't go the way they should, to tell the truth), and that things can go very wrong if you don't take care.  Anyway, be happy that he'll keep his "no da."  It's a lot harder to change habitual speech patterns than to heal a scar with magic water, especially after more than eight years.  Please tell me what you think of this, either in a review or at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	27. Raid

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-Seven:  Raid 

Northern Kônan-koku.

It was only a little while before dawn, as testified by the thin line of light that was steadily growing brighter along the tops of the mountains to the east.  The fair-sized town nestled at the bottom of the deep valley still slept.  A few of the early-bird farmers were out, but most of the town's citizens were either still in bed or just barely waking up.

The valley was surrounded on three sides by steep mountains.  Here and there was a pass where travelers could get through, but the easiest way was to the south, where the mountains broke and the large river that flowed through the valley carved its course through almost the entire north-south distance of Kônan-koku and emptied itself into the sea along the southern coast of the kingdom.  On either side of the river at the south end of the valley was a fairly wide expanse of flat land.  It was no surprise that most trips in and out of the village used that particular route.

However, the village was being watched not from the south, but from the west.  A large group of people was grouped loosely together in the woods on the down-slope of the mountains opposite the impending sunrise, and they were keeping close watch on the town through the eyes of a few of their scouts positioned at strategic vantage points.

They were bandits.  They had come far from their home base west of here, going so far as to actually climb over the mountain range, and had never been to this town before.  Fresh pickings.  They were eager.  This town was one of the better-off ones in this region.

Their leader, a lanky, rough-and-tumble type man, was watching the town along with the scouts.  His sharp eyes could easily pick out things in the dark, provided there was the slightest bit of light available, and he many times doubled as a lookout for his own band of thieves.  He was called Phantom Wolf, but it was a common saying that their previous leader should have named him Phantom Cat, due to his night vision.  He wasn't too happy with that declaration.  Cats weren't his favorite animals.

"So," a soft tenor breathed from behind him, alerting him of this second-in-command's presence, "should we attack at dawn?"

"Uh-huh," the leader agreed, though he really didn't know why any of them were whispering.  None of the men that he knew of were sleeping, and they were too far away from the town to alert any townsfolk that might be awake to their presence and position.  He spoke at his normal volume.  "You're the one who keeps track of what towns we attack and at what times.  You say we've never been here before?"

"Iya," his second answered.  "Not since before either you or I joined this band.  This town is pretty out-of-the-way in comparison to home, and there're those blasted mountains we just climbed over in the way."

"The men need their exercise," the leader said.  For a while, he had been of the opinion that he didn't work his men hard enough, and chose this isolated town as their next target.  The journey had been rather rough, but it was worth it.  The town was well off when it came to financial assets, and even if the raid was a failure and they were driven out somehow, his men would be toughened up by the trip.  Besides, if they were driven out, it might give them a wakeup call that they needed to stop slacking off like their leader had let them for too long.  He was angry with himself for doing that.  A tiny part of him hoped the raid really was a failure, so they'd get the picture that being a bandit wasn't the easiest thing in the world and you have to stay on your toes to stay alive and well.

After a few minutes of silence, his second spoke again.  "Is something wrong?  You look thoughtful."

"Oh, nothing," the leader responded.  "I just have a feeling I've seen this town before.  I don't know where, though.  What did you call it again?"

"Shôryû," his second said.

"Hm," the leader mused absently.  Ah, well.  This town didn't look very unique from what he could see.  He had probably just seen another town somewhere in the past that looked like this one from above.

Sharp rays of light suddenly burst over the eastern horizon.  Dawn had come.

"Time to go, Genrô," his green-eyed second-in-command said behind him, standing up straight and stretching his muscles.

The red-haired leader stood up as well, flashing a quick grin that revealed sharply pointed canines.  "Ready when you are, Kôji."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On the west side of town, the Ri residence was just waking up.  Hôjun walked into the living room, yawning slightly.  His wife was ill, so he took on the responsibility of making the meals and keeping the house in order, as well as running his carpentry business.  He was glad his children were old enough to help him with some of it, because it'd all be too much for one person to handle without at least some help.

He was just about to light the cooking fire, when a loud, metallic banging interrupted his thoughts.  He dropped the flints he was holding and stood up quickly.  The bandit alarms were being set off around town.  They were being invaded.

He reentered the hallway just as his three children ran out of their bedroom toward him.  Ten-year-old Tori, six-year-old Seiryoku, and three-year-old Hana.

"Tôsan!" Tori cried.  "What is it?!"

Hôjun opened the door to his bedroom and stepped quickly inside.  "Bandits, no da.  Stay in here with Kâsan, no da.  I'm going out to try to fend them off, no da."  His children came into the room after him and gathered around the bed where their mother lay.  They knew better than to disobey their father when he used that tone of voice.

"Hôjun," a faint voice came from the bed, "be careful."

"I know, Kôran, no da," he replied, stepping over to the bed and reaching down to touch her cheek.  "I'll come back to you in one piece, no da."  He straightened up, grabbed his prayer beads and shakujo staff, and went quickly out of the bedroom and outside to the street.  Quite a few of the townsmen were outside as well, armed with an assortment of weapons, ranging from real weapons, such as knives and short swords, to farmer's tools, such as scythes and axes.  The bandits had not reached the town yet, but would be there in less than a half minute.

"Ri-sama!" someone shouted to him.  "What do we do?"  Hôjun, because of his magic and his (for the most part) level head, was looked up to as a type of leader in situations such as this.

In the dim early-morning light, Hôjun looked at the dark mass of bandits that was quickly nearing the town.  It was too late to set up any kind of organized defense, and throwing up a shield around the town would be risky, because the burst of energy a shield that large would emit as it appeared may kill anyone too close to it, and he wanted to avoid killing people if he could.

"There's nothing fancy we can do, no da," Hôjun replied.  "Just fight for all you're worth, no da."  He hoped they could somehow turn the bandits back before they got too far into the town.  Hôjun himself was not a fighter—he could fight if he needed to, but disliked it with a passion—so, he would be on the defensive instead of the offensive.  He teleported to a rooftop so he could see as many people as he could, and he'd try to lend aid to any of the townsmen he saw that needed it.  He could get the injured to safety with a simple spell, throw bandits backward with another simple spell, etc.  He just couldn't keep an eye on everyone at once, so who he helped depended on who he saw.  Besides, he doubted if the bandits would be deterred very easily.  Bandits were tenacious little bastards, if his experience with Tasuki was anything to go on.  The only way for him to make absolutely sure the town was safe would be a good-sized attack spell, but he may inadvertently hit some of the townsmen, and he didn't want to be the direct cause of anyone's death, townsman or bandit, if he could absolutely avoid it.

The bandits reached the town.  The townsmen started yelling battle cries and launching themselves toward their attackers.  The fight for the town of Shôryû had begun.

Hôjun realized his mistake.  He had teleported to a rooftop too far away from where the townsmen met the bandits.  He gathered what little energy he needed for teleportation again and found himself closer to the fray a split second later.  Again, he hoped they could drive the bandits back before they got too far into the town and stole too many valuables.  If push came to shove, he would indeed release an attack spell on the bandits as a group, but he hoped the situation didn't come to that.

He immediately saw some of the townsmen in trouble, and focused his energy on the bandits they were fighting with, throwing them backward, knocking not only them but also several other bandits off their feet.  Not stopping to see how the bandits fared, he pointed his shakujo at two injured townsmen.  The townsmen vanished, reappearing on the next street, where they could get themselves to a medic's.  Anyone too injured to run, Hôjun would teleport directly to the medic's.  He saw more townsmen coming to the fight from other parts of the town, and soon, the numbers on both sides were about even.

Hôjun kept his eyes open for anyone who appeared to be the bandits' leader.  It was an unwritten rule that, if the bandit leader was injured enough he couldn't fight, or even killed, then the bandit gang would retreat.  He hoped this group of bandits followed that rule.

It wasn't long before his eyes fell on two people he recognized.  There was a blue-haired young man, looking about in his mid-twenties, and beside him…flaming-red hair…a sword that looked more like a fan…no, it couldn't be…

"TASUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hôjun roared, teleporting down into the fight, directly in front of the young man who he had no doubt was the bandit boss.  The young man froze, and Hôjun got a good look at his face in the strengthening dawn light.  No doubt about it…it was Tasuki.

Hôjun swung his shakujo in a wide arc, and Tasuki just barely managed to jump backward enough to keep from getting hit.  Unfortunately for him, he ended up plowing right into Kôji, knocking them both to the ground.

"Oi!  Genrô!  What the hell—" Kôji began, but was interrupted by Tasuki's loud voice.

"OI!" Tasuki bellowed to his men, drawing out the word for about four or five seconds.  They knew that signal, and they immediately retreated, making all haste back to their camp on the mountainside.  The townsmen were surprised at this sudden stop in the fight, and even more surprised that Hôjun was making a point of not letting the blue-haired one or the red-haired one go.  Why those two?

Tasuki stared up from where he lay—still half on top of Kôji—at the man towering over them.  It was light enough to see quite clearly now, but he almost didn't recognize the man.  The hair was the same color, yes, but what really threw him off was the fact that there were _two_ mahogany-brown eyes blazing out at him from behind the curtain of his bangs, which were currently hanging limply over his face.

"Chichiri!" he exclaimed, still surprised over the other Seishi's sudden appearance.  "You…your…"  All he could do at the moment was point at Hôjun's face.

Hôjun sighed.  "Hai, Tasuki, I have two eyes again, no da."  He glared at the two bandits again.  "Go up and tell your men that you will be back in a little while, and then I want you two to come to that house, no da."  He pointed to his house about a block away.  "You have a lot of explaining to do, no da."

Without waiting for their answer, Hôjun turned his back on the bandits and walked quickly back to his house to tell his wife and children it was all over.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hôjun sighed, his chin in his hand, his elbow resting on the table.  In his other hand, he held a cup of tea, half drained.  He stared across the table at the two bandits, both of them holding identical cups of the brownish-black liquid.  His three children were gathered around him, quite intimidated by the appearance of these two strangers, especially because of their less-than-kid-friendly looks.  Kôran was in her and Hôjun's bedroom, allegedly asleep.  Tama-neko was curled up on the pillow next to her.

Hôjun had told them of the healing of his eye, thus explaining the absence of his rather noticeable scar.  He then demanded an explanation as to why the Reikaku-zan bandits were attacking this town.  Both Tasuki and Kôji—Kôji kept calling Tasuki by his nickname of "Genrô"—supplied the answer, talking over each other and finishing each other's sentences.  Both of them looked rather sheepish at attacking the village of Tasuki's closest friend without even realizing it.  Apparently, Tasuki had completely forgotten that this was the town he had briefly visited three years ago when Miaka and Taka had returned.  Tasuki was one of the weaker Suzaku Seishi when it came to sensing others' ki, but Hôjun was surprised he hadn't sensed Tasuki's ki as soon as he came into the valley.  Perhaps it was the distraction of the bandit raid that kept him from noticing the familiar ki.

_Why am I not surprised he forgot, no da?_ Hôjun thought.  _Tasuki's memory has always needed work, to the best of my knowledge, no da._  "Well, no da," he said aloud.  "Be happy no one of either side was hurt terribly, no da.  I'd be very upset if this little slipup of yours resulted in someone's death, no da."  He took a sip of his tea, keeping Tasuki's gaze.

Both bandits were silent.

"Anyway, no da," Hôjun continued, a smile sliding across his face.  "Let's put this messy business behind us, ne, no da?  We haven't seen each other in three years, Tasuki, no da.  I'd like you two to stay here for at least tonight, no da.  We can catch up on old business, no da."

"Ano…" Tasuki said, surprised by Hôjun's sudden change of mood.  Then again, Hôjun was prone to mood swings, from what he recalled.  "All right, then, if you insist."  Kôji nodded beside him, indicating his assent.  Tasuki looked around.  "Er…where's your wife, Chichiri?"

"She's ill, no da," Hôjun replied.  "She should hopefully be recovered in a week or so, no da."

"Ah," Tasuki said.  He looked deep into Hôjun's eyes as the older Seishi's gaze dropped to his teacup as he lifted it for another drink.  Something flickered there…something so faint, you wouldn't have been able to see it unless you were looking for something like it.  He knew that Hôjun was one to hold his emotions back, unless something forced them to surface, and that slight flicker confirmed his suspicions that Hôjun was not telling everything.  Tasuki cast a worried glance over to Kôji.  Something was wrong.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Yay!  I finally updated!  I know it's been forever since the last chapter, and I'm sorry.  I know Katie'll be excited about this. _  Anyway, I hope there will be a lot less time between this chapter and the next than there was between the last chapter and this one.  Keep your fingers crossed.  The next chapter will take place directly after this one, as implied by this chapter's ending.  Yes…I'm going to be mean to my dear Chichiri once again.  Gomen ne.  I so hope you liked this chapter!  Tell me how you like it in a review or at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	28. Stillbirth

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.  I've gone back and changed some of the spellings, as well as corrected conventions errors, and then reposted all twenty-seven chapters, as well as all my other fanfics.  It's one of the reasons I haven't updated in so long.  Gomen ne, minna… -_-

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-Eight:  Stillbirth 

Hôjun said nothing more about Kôran, and he seemed to be avoiding their eyes.  Tasuki cast another worried glance to Kôji, a question in his eyes.  Kôji was better at reading people's moods and actions than Tasuki.  Unfortunately, to the bandit leader's dismay, Kôji only closed his eyes and shook his head minutely.  He was no more aware of what was going on than his fiery-haired companion.  Tasuki returned his gaze to his teacup.  Hôjun was usually the most composed and unruffled of all the Seishi.  Seeing his fellow warrior in emotional disarray, no matter how suppressed, made him nervous, sometimes downright scared.

Three-year-old Hana latched her small hands onto her father's sleeve and began pulling toward the direction of the hallway.  "I wanna see Kâsan," the little girl piped.  Even she, a free-spirited and energetic toddler, looked downcast.  Tasuki's stomach clenched.  This was not good.

"Kâsan is sleeping right now, Hana-chan," Hôjun replied, not looking at his daughter.  His voice was strained slightly on the word "sleeping."  It was as if he was terrified she would never wake up again.

"I wanna see Kâsan!  I wanna see Kâsan!  I wanna see Kâsan!" the little girl squealed, pulling harder on his sleeve, jumping up and down as she did.  Her face was scrunching up, as if she was about to cry.

"Hana-chan, no.  I said—"

"_I wanna see Kâsan!_" Hana wailed.

Hôjun's face immediately went from barely restrained tension to sudden anger.  His worn-thin patience had run out.

"_Shut up!_" he roared, and, without even thinking it seemed, he struck out and slapped his youngest daughter across the face with a loud _smack_.

Hana immediately dissolved into loud crying, fat tears streaming down her round little cheeks, her fists up to her eyes, her face twisted in a heart-wrenching mask of fear, pain, and want for comfort.  Tori and Seiryoku had backed off from both their father and their sister.  They seemed to want to console Hana in some way, but were afraid of what their father may do.  He hardly ever struck one of them out of anger, and never, _never_ this hard.  Even when punishing them for one reason or another, he kept from hurting them more than what was necessary.  An angry red mark sprawled across Hana's left cheek.  He had never left marks like that before.

Tasuki and Kôji looked at each other again.  Neither had expected this to happen, and both were at a loss for words.  They looked back at Hôjun and saw he had his head in his hands, propped up with his elbows on the table.  His fingers were fisted in his hair.  If one looked close enough, one would see he was shaking slightly as he tried to reign in his sudden surge of anger.

"Go…gomen nasai, Hana-chan," he murmured when he looked up again.  Tears were brimming in his eyes, but he held them back.  He picked his daughter up and held her to him, attempting to soothe her cries.  "I'm so sorry…I'll never do that again…"  Hana's arms were wrapped tightly around his neck as she cried on his shoulder.

She began quieting down after a minute or so, and things seemed to be going back to where they were…until…

"Nya!  Nyaaaaaaaaaa!"

Tama-neko was running out of Hôjun and Kôran's bedroom, straight towards Hôjun.  It grabbed his sleeve in its teeth and began tugging in the direction it had come from.

"Tama…?" Hôjun asked, setting his daughter down.  "Is something—"

Before he could ask his question, a high, shrill scream suddenly came from the room his wife lay in.  It was a scream of terrible pain.

"Gods!" Hôjun cried as he leapt to his feet.  "Suzaku!  Oh, please, don't let her die!"  He bolted through the door leading to his wife, a look of utter terror on his face.

Tasuki and Kôji jumped to their feet as well when they heard the scream, but before they could even turn in the direction of the room, Hôjun had already gone through the door.  When they pulled the door open and looked into the room, their faces dissolved into looks of shock and horror.

Hôjun was clutching his wife's hand in one of his, the other stroking her hair in a surely futile attempt to calm her down.  She was obviously suffering from a high fever, and she looked to be about six months pregnant.

"Oh…gods…" Kôji muttered, turning away.  Tasuki couldn't look away.  This was what had Hôjun so upset.  He not only had his wife to worry over, but his unborn child as well.

"…Hôjun…the baby…too early…" Kôran moaned, her skin covered with a thick sheen of sweat, both from the fever and the suddenly occurring labor pains.  "Suzaku…too early…too early…"

"Medic!" Hôjun barked in Tasuki's direction.  Kôji immediately ran out the front door, looking for someone, anyone, who could save the lives at stake.

Tasuki started after him two seconds after Kôji left.

"No!  Tasuki!  I need your help right here!" he pleaded.  Tasuki looked at his face and blanched.  He was sure he had never seen Hôjun looking so terror-stricken before.

"What do you need?" Tasuki asked hesitantly.  He had absolutely no experience in birthing babies.

"Please…take my children into their room…try to keep the calm and happy for the time being…I don't want them seeing their mother so pained like this."  His voice was as if he was about to burst into tears any second.

"Uh…yeah…sure…" Tasuki replied.  As he left the room, he had a dreadful feeling that at least one life would be lost in this house today.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hôjun's eyes were wide as he stared down at his wife.  She was exhausted to within an inch of her life, and she had dropped off into a deep sleep the minute it was over.  He was deathly afraid it would be her last sleep.  He had already lost so much today…he couldn't bear to lose her as well.

Kangofu, one of the town medics, finished wrapping the child in a cloth, and wordlessly handed it to Hôjun when he stretched out his arms for it, a pleading look on his face.  She left, not wanted to disturb him in his grief.

Hôjun's heart broke as he stared into the motionless, gray face of his newly-born and newly-dead daughter.  He clutched the tiny, cooling body to his chest.  She had come too early, with no chance of survival.  She had been dead by the time she was born.

His tears, heretofore unshed, burst forth in a helpless scream, which soon melted into heartbroken weeping, his entire body shuddering with his sobs.  "Oh, my baby…my baby!  _Noooooooooooooooo!_"

Tasuki turned away and quietly shut the door, letting his friend mourn in peace.  He turned toward Kôji, who had Tori, Seiryoku, and Hana gathered around his legs.  Kôji quickly lowered his eyes and looked away at the look on Tasuki's face.

"Your father needs to be alone right now," Tasuki said, the words coming out in a hoarse whisper.  "It's late.  You three should go to bed."

The three children looked both disappointed and apprehensive.  They had heard their father's crying, and child's curiosity coupled with the love they held for the man currently wailing in devastation on the other side of the door had made them want to rush in there and see what was wrong.  However, they caught sight of the look in Tasuki's amber eyes, and went into their room without a fuss.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The funeral was held the next day.  The little girl, named Kojika by her father, was buried next to a grave marked "Ri Hanabira."  The daughter who never met her sisters and brother was laid to rest next to the sister who never met her nieces and nephew.  The pain at losing another dear relative was as sharp to Hôjun as the first time it had happened.  He took one look at his sister's grave and the newly-dug grave for his daughter next to it, and he fell to his knees in the grass, silent tears coursing down his cheeks.  Tasuki had put his arms around his ailing friend, and was now whispering reassurances as best he could as the tiny casket was lowered into the earth.  Hôjun seemed to take no notice.

Kôran was in bed at home, too weakened by the lingering fever and the recent difficult birth to get up, with her three living children with her.  Kôji was keeping and eye on all of them while Tasuki accompanied Hôjun to the burial.

When Kôran had first woken up that morning, she saw her husband kneeling next to the bed, clasping one of her hands in his, his head bowed.  He had looked up at her when she tried to say something.  All that had come out was incoherent syllables, for she was still extremely weak from the night before.  Hôjun's eyes had closed, his face greatly pained.  He said one word:  "Dead."

Since then, and perhaps still now, for all Hôjun knew, Kôran had been staring up at the ceiling above their bed, her face perfectly blank.  The only thing indicating any emotion was the steady stream of tears sliding from her eyes.

Hôjun bowed his head, his loose hair falling over his face, as the gravedigger began covering the tiny little box that held the baby with earth.  The other people at the funeral were quietly leaving, a solemn air permeating everything.  Hôjun was a well-loved member of the community, and his loss was felt by everyone.

"Chichiri," Tasuki said gently.  He pulled Hôjun to his feet, his arm still around his shoulders to keep him steady.  "Come on…your wife needs you right now."

"Nn," Hôjun grunted softly.  He let himself be led back to his home, hardly paying attention to where his feet fell.  _Suzaku-seikun_, he mentally prayed.  _God of Love and Sorrow…take her into your keeping…please, I'm begging you…_

His mind went blank again as he passed the threshold of his house and immediately went into the bedroom to be near his wife.

Kneeling by the grave, unseen by mortal eyes, a tall man dressed all in red with hair and wings to match, wept silently, cradling the stillborn's soul to his chest.  It wasn't her time to die…she hadn't even a chance to live!

Hôjun's desperate prayer echoed in his mind a few minutes later, and he stood up, holding the soul softly.  "Do not worry, my most faithful warrior.  You're prayer is granted."  With that, Suzaku spread his wings and disappeared from the Material Plane.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Yes, I know.  How could I kill an innocent baby?  The answer is that, in the past, stillbirths were much more common than they are today, and I wouldn't be surprised if a good percentage of woman had at least one stillbirth or miscarriage in their life.  Yes, it's sad, but death is a fact of life, and no one can escape that fact, no matter how young or innocent.  Did I write this chapter well?  I so hope I did.  Let me know either in a review or at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	29. Concussion

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Twenty-Nine:  Concussion 

Hôjun sighed and looked up to the sky.  It was a warm, though not too hot, day.  Spring was well on its course, and summer wasn't too far behind.  It was only a matter of time before Kônan-koku's considerable summer heat came around.

_Tasks like this are always a nightmare in the hot sun, no da_, Hôjun thought to himself as he walked toward the forest with a good-sized axe, dragging a sled for transporting wood behind him.  _At least, during the summer, I always do this kind of stuff in the evening when it's cooler, no da._

He smiled at the sound of children laughing as his five-year-old twin sons, Washi and Taka, ran along behind them.  They liked to accompany their father when he went out to chop wood like this.  They always did a fair amount of playing in the woods, but they did pick up bunches of sticks they could carry back home.

The mood of the family had been on the good side as of late.  Tori had recently turned seventeen years old, and baby Aichaku, her first birthday just this past month, had been trying her best to walk.  Plus, the weather was getting better, lifting their spirits from the perpetual gloom that settled over the town during the long, rainy, muddy winter.

They reached the edge of the forest, and Hôjun turned to the twins.  "Stay where I can hear you, no da," he told them.  "Come to me if there's a problem, no da."  The twins, as always, nodded and ran off into the woods.  Washi and Taka were by far his rowdiest children yet, and they jumped at any chance they could get to run around and be boys.

Hôjun watched until they were a good distance away, then set to finding a good tree.  He had plenty of prime carving wood at home for carpentry, but they needed firewood.  He didn't like to burn the wood he had set aside for carpentry if he could help it, for some woods were better to work with than others, and he'd rather keep the better-quality wood for carpentry, and burn the lesser-quality wood.

"Hm, no da," he muttered, walking up to a prospect.  "This looks about right, no da…"

Several minutes later, the medium-small tree fell, and he sat down on the forest floor for a few-minute break, listening to the sounds of his sons playing not far off.  His thoughts drifted to Miaka and Taka in the other world, and he gazed toward the sky in thought, feeling a pang of nostalgia wash through him.  Yes, quite a bit of grief came to him and to many others while Miaka was here from her world, but she and the other Seishi were the closest friends he had ever met, with an exception of Hikô and Kôran.  Hôjun and Tasuki exchanged letters, but hardly ever saw each other in person.

"It's been ten years since I last saw Miaka and Tamahome, no da," he mused quietly, "and seven years since I last saw Tasuki, no da."  He sighed.  He was living a satisfying life with his wife and children, but he missed Miaka and the other Seishi so much.  He supposed it was a burden he must bear until he and Tasuki died and were reborn in the Miko world.  He wouldn't remember anything from this life, and there was a chance that he not meet up with any of the others, but it would be a whole new life, a completely clean slate that he could perhaps use better than he had in this life.

"Yes, Hôjun, you've done great things in this life, no da," he said, just as quietly, "but you also have many regrets, no da.  I wonder how your next life will turn out, no da?"  When thinking, he sometimes started talking to himself as if he were talking to someone else.  He sometimes got strange looks if he was heard by others.

His thoughts were suddenly shattered as an alarmed cry sounded not far from him.  A second later, he heard one of his sons start crying loudly, and Taka came running out of the trees, his little hands outstretched toward his father.  Hôjun's heart jumped into his throat at the same time he leapt to his feet.

"What?!" Hôjun almost shouted.  "What is it, no da?!  Taka!"

The little boy couldn't make any intelligible words through his crying, so he merely grabbed his father's sleeve and started pulling Hôjun in the direction he came from.

Hôjun's breath caught in his throat when they broke through the line of low bushes Taka had emerged from.  Under a tree lay Washi, his eyes closed and his skin pale.  A branch lay across him.  He had obviously been perched on the branch when it had snapped and sent him to the ground.  He looked to have fallen headfirst, for a thin stream of blood indicated he had cracked his skull open.

"Oh, Suzaku!" Hôjun gasped as he fell to his knees beside his son.  He was afraid to touch him and risk jarring his spine or neck.  He was breathing, so he was alive, but Hôjun didn't know if his neck or back were broken or not.  One false move when his spinal column is broken, and his life could end right then and there.

He did the one thing he knew was the safest, and prayed to all the gods that Washi would stay still for the trip.  He grabbed Taka's wrist and cast a teleportation spell, taking them all back to the town in an instant.

They reappeared on the floor of the nurse Kangofu's clinic, making the young apprentice nearly drop her jar of newly-prepared disinfectant paste.

"Oh, my!" Kangofu exclaimed from the doorway into the back of the building.  He had run to the door when she saw the flash of red light, and her eyes had widened at the sight of the obviously distraught Hôjun and Taka next to the still and silent Washi.

Hôjun looked at her pleadingly.  "Please…help…" he said, sounding as if he was struggling to hold tears in.  He had already lost one child, as well as so many others dear to him.  He couldn't stand to lose another.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later that night, Hôjun walked through the front door of his house, emotionally exhausted for the day.  Washi was alive, but hadn't awoken from that blow to the head.  Hôjun thanked his lucky star that his son had sustained no other injuries save a few bruises and scratches.

Washi was currently lying in a patient bed at Kangofu's.  The nurse had insisted that Hôjun go back home and get a good night's rest, or she may have two Ris on her hands instead of one.  He hadn't left his son's side since they got there, though he had sent Taka home, and was quickly wearing himself down.  He had reluctantly agreed to go home only after a lengthy session of Kangofu's attempts to convince him, and she still had to practically push him out the door.

Kôran stood up the moment he walked in, as well as Tori, Seiryoku, and Hana.  Kôran had had to stay home to look after Aichaku, and she was worried sick.  Aichaku and Taka were in bed at the moment.

"Hôjun," Kôran ventured.  "How…how is he…?"

"As good as he will get right now," Hôjun answered, his unique speech habit leaving him.  "All we can do is wait and pray he pulls through."

"Well…" Kôran muttered, "it's better than I expected."  She looked at her husband and noticed the fatigue in his face.  "You should go to bed, Hôjun.  You need your rest."

"Yes," Hôjun absentmindedly agreed, pulling his wife into a tight embrace.  He laid a kiss upon her forehead as they parted, but he said nothing.  He walked into the master bedroom and closed the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Now," Hôjun said, kneeling next to Taka, who was sitting on the floor in the front room, "what happened, no da?"

"Um…" the fire-year-old murmured, looking away.  "We were going to climb a tree, and Washi-niisan picked one that I didn't wanna go up in.  It looked too skinny and all, and I didn't want to fall…but, Washi-niisan climbed up the tree even when I said so."

"Why didn't you come get me, no da?" Hôjun asked, gently but firmly.  "You know I want you to come to me if there's a problem, no da.  If you thought it was too dangerous, you should have come to get me, no da.  I would have told him to pick a different tree, no da."

"Yeah…but…"  Taka always followed Washi's lead wherever they went, and almost never questioned his brother's actions, even when he himself was in doubt.  It was a habit Hôjun knew Taka would someday have to break.

Hôjun sighed.  He had been informed this morning that Washi was getting better, and would perhaps wake up soon, but he wasn't out of the woods yet.  Still, the news made Hôjun not as angry at Taka as he could have been.

"Just be a little more assertive in the future, okay, no da?" Hôjun asked, putting a hand on Taka's head.  "And, come to me or your mother if you have a problem, no da.  Washi was hurt very badly yesterday, and we might not be so lucky next time, no da."

"Hai, Tôsan," Taka muttered, not looking at him.

Hôjun sighed again, pulling his youngest son onto his lap, holding him tight.  He was once again forcefully reminded just how precious life was, and he couldn't stop thinking about what _could have_ happened, not what _did_ happen.  He could have lost a son that day.

_Please let this be the last time something like this happens, no da_, he silently prayed, raising his eyes toward the heavens.  _Don't take any more away from me…no da._

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  I don't know if this chapter is my best work (I know, I say that nearly every chapter), but I'm not dissatisfied with it, luckily.  I was playing with the concept of making the fall fatal, but, since I had already killed one of Chichiri's children, and killing Washi would make two deaths in two chapters, I decided to be nice and not kill the kid.  I hope I didn't detract any by not killing him.  Not that death is a good thing, but there always seems to be more power in a fic/chapter where someone dies, if it's written well.  Anyway, wish me luck in getting the job I'm up for at Borders Bookstore!  I have an interview there, and I do believe I stand a good chance of getting the job, but a little luck won't hurt.  Oh, and my high school graduation ceremony is on June eighteenth (I wrote this chapter on the sixteenth)!  Booyah!  Let me know how you like this chapter in a review or at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	30. Foundling

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Thirty:  Foundling 

Hôjun sighed as he walked, turning his face slightly toward the blue sky.  It was midsummer, but the weather felt like it was midspring, instead.  It was cooler than was normal for summer, clouds dotting the sky here and there.  Usually in summer, it was very hot, and the sky was virtually cloudless for weeks on end.

_Not that I'm complaining, no da_, Hôjun mused.  _It means I can walk in the daytime, instead of waiting for dusk when it's cooler, no da._

He was returning to Shôryû Village from an ambassadorial trip to a neighboring village.  The neighboring village was very young, having been founded just a few months ago by people looking for a new place to live, their old village having grown too populous for it's land.  Trading emissaries have been going to the new village to establish trading relations between the new village and their own.  Hôjun had been picked as the emissary from Shôryû.

He had been gone nearly three weeks.  It was about a two-week round trip, and Hôjun had stayed there several days to accomplish what he had set out to do.  He could have just teleported, but he liked to walk instead, when he could.  There was certainly nothing stopping him.

A slight smile tugged at his lips as his thoughts fell to his children.  Twenty-one-year-old Tori was married, and had given birth to a son a little less than a year ago.  Seventeen-year-old Seiryoku was engaged, and set to marry within the year to a girl he adored.  Fourteen-year-old Hana was constantly occupied with learning how to be a good housewife and mother, taking instruction from her mother and some of the other women in the village.  Nine-year-old Washi and Taka were growing into two strong, healthy boys, though Washi was noticeably slower mentally than other boys his age, due to the head injury he had suffered four years ago.  Five-year-old Aichaku had turned out much like her aunt Hanabira, and was constantly talking, though her mother was attempting to teach her that it was unbecoming for a young lady to always be jabbering at people.  Lastly, three-year-old Meiyo, Hôjun's youngest son, was already showing a lust for learning, and was likely to grow up to be quite intelligent.  Kôran was as proud and devoted a mother as any group of siblings could wish for.  All in all, Hôjun's family was healthy and happy, and that alone made him satisfied with life.

His thoughts darkened for a moment as he remembered something that still sent a thorn into his heart whenever he thought on it.  Kojika would have been eleven years old this year.

Hôjun shook his head.  _It's in the past, no da_, he thought.  _There's nothing I can do to change the fact that she died, no da._  Since his fight with the demon Hikô fourteen years ago, Hôjun had been better at putting the past to rest, and not dwelling on it so much.  Yes, there were many things he still grieved over, and he would never forget the deaths and tragedies he had experienced, but he was better at getting over them and getting on with his life now.  For that, both he and Kôran were thankful.

At the moment, Hôjun was walking along the road that cut through a large farm.  He had passed through here on the way to the village as well, and had stopped a while to talk with the farmer and his family.  They had recently had an addition to the family, a baby girl, who was about three months old now.  Hôjun wanted to stop and talk with them again, as they had been nice people.

He stopped as a faint smell hit his nose.  It smelled like burnt wood, but something in his heart told him it wasn't coming from the wife's cooking fire.  He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up toward the farmhouse, which he had come within view of about ten minutes ago.  His heart stopped when he saw nothing standing where the house should have been.

"Oh, no…" he whispered, and almost reflexively cast a teleportation spell over there.  It took more energy to not use a medium like his kasa or kesa, but he didn't have time to think at the moment.  What he saw when he got there was something he wished would never happen.  The house had been burned down.  "Oh, no…" Hôjun said again, shaking his head sadly.  "Those poor people."  He searched the remains of the house and found the bodies of the farmer, his wife, and four of his children.  He was just thinking that the baby was small enough that she had probably been burned up completely, when the sound of crying suddenly reached his ears.

He stood up from where he was crouching quickly, and looked frantically around for the source of the noise.  The baby was alive!  He found her in what used to be the corner of the house, coated in ash, and half covered in a burnt slab of wood.

"Suzaku," Hôjun breathed.  "It's a miracle you're alive, no da!"  He quickly but gently extracted her from the wreckage of the house, holding her close, trying to comfort her.  The fact that the burning smell was fresh, and that the baby didn't look starved told him that the fire was quite recent, perhaps that same day.  Still, the baby needed to be fed.  He looked around and saw one of the farmer's cows not far off, grazing in the field, apparently oblivious to the fact that her owner was dead.  He conjured up a container made for giving liquid to the sick, and walked over to the cow.  A few minutes later, having drawn what he thought would be enough milk from the cow, he placed the end of the small spout in the baby's mouth.  She immediately latched on and started drinking.  She was hungry, indeed.

"What was your name again, no da?" Hôjun asked the nursing baby.  "Oh, yeah, no da!  How could I forget, no da?  You have the same name as Hotohori-sama's wife, no da!"  When the little baby Hôki had her fill of milk, he walked over to a small stream that flowed through the field, peeled her clothes off, and cleaned both them and the baby in the water.  "Yes, I know, no da.  The water's a bit cold, no da.  But, I can't let you stay dirty like that, can I, no da?"  Afterwards, he pulled a small towel he had stored out of his kasa-space, and wrapped her in it, as her clothes were still damp, and he didn't want to give her a chill.  He put her damp clothes in his kasa, put it back on, and walked back over to the remains of the house.

He stood there for several moments, Hôki dozing in his arms.  He said a prayer for the deceased, and then let his magic flow out over the ground, causing the soil to cover over the burnt house and the people inside, effectively burying them.  He made sure the baby was snug against him, and then pulled his kasa down over his head, disappearing into it, sending himself and the tiny foundling to his home in Shôryû.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"The house just burned down?" Kôran asked.  She was holding the sleeping baby Hôki in her lap.  Her husband sat across from her.  Meiyo and Aichaku were by their mother's side, watching the baby curiously.  About an hour ago, Hôjun had popped unexpectedly into the room, scaring the daylights out of everyone.  Their fright was quickly forgotten when they saw the towel-clad baby in his arms.

"Hai, no da," Hôjun nodded.  "It couldn't have been more than a few hours ago that the fire stopped burning, no da.  It could have been bandits, no da.  The family could have been kept from getting out while the house burned down, no da.  They could have even been unconscious, no da.  I just don't see how the entire family would die like that, otherwise, no da.  You would think that at least some would have broken out somehow, no da."

"Hm," Kôran replied, shifting the baby in her arms.

"So," Hôjun said, "should we find someone who can adopt her, no da?  Or, should we raise her ourselves, no da?"

"Well…what do you think, Hôjun?" Kôran asked.

"I leave it up to you, no da," Hôjun replied.  "It's you who takes care of the children most, no da.  You should decide if you want to take this baby in, no da."

Kôran looked down at the baby.  "Well…I'll decide in the morning.  By then, I'll have thought it through enough to know."

"All right, no da," Hôjun said, standing up.  "If you decide to have her adopted, I'm sure I could find a couple willing to take an orphan in, no da."

"I know you could," Kôran said.  "You know everyone in this town, it seems.  I'm sure you'd find a suitable home for her."

Hôjun nodded.  "Anyway," he started, "I have work to do, no da."  He walked over to her as she stood and wrapped his arms around her, mindful of the baby in her arms.  "I missed you, no da."

Kôran smiled.  "Oh, Hôjun, you say that even if you're gone for only a day."

Hôjun grinned back and kissed her cheek.  He then exited the room to see to some furniture that needed finishing.

Kôran looked down at the baby, who was squirming as if she was waking up.  "Oh, little one, what am I going to do with you?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Three months later…

Six-month-old Hôki crawled over to her tôsan as he sat down on the floor after a long day of chopping wood and dragging it home.

Hôjun smiled down at her and picked her up, placing her in his lap.  "Hello, Hôki-chan, no da.  You're getting more energetic every day, no da."  Hôki reached up at tugged at his loose hair.  Hôjun looked over and saw Washi watching, an almost curious look on his face.  "Would you like to hold the baby, no da?" he asked his son.  He gently handed her over when Washi nodded and reached over to her.  Hôjun felt a pang as the thought that Washi probably wouldn't get much more than a five-year-old mentality passed through his mind.  That blow to his head when he was five severely damaged his learning capacity.  He'd probably have to be taken care of all his life.  So many people like that were shunned and rejected by others who saw them as too strange.  Hôjun prayed Washi would never face that.

Meiyo toddled over and sat down next to Washi, peering at the baby, fascinated.  Meiyo was amazed that someone smaller than himself existed.

"Augh!" Hôjun suddenly heard from the other room.  "Okâsan, help!"

Kôran, who was kneeling on the floor across from Hôjun as she mended a ripped sleeve sighed and stood up, going into the other room.  Hana was learning well about how to "be a lady", but she had a clumsy streak that never seemed to fade.  Every day, there was _some_ kind of mishap.  In this, Hana reminded Hôjun strongly of Miaka.

Miaka…he hadn't seen her or Tamahome/Taka for fourteen years.  He hoped they were doing well in their world.  It had been almost eleven years since he had seen Tasuki in person.  However, the letters the two Seishi sent to each other let him know that Tasuki, Kôji, and the rest of the Reikaku-zan bandits were doing fine.

"Oh, Hana!" he heard Kôran exclaim from the other room.  "You're going to have to completely resew this hem on!"  Apparently, Hana had made a rather big mistake with her sewing.  Hôjun smiled.  Hana had never liked sewing, and was taking to it like a bear to a spinning wheel…in other words, not very well at all.

Hôjun had a hard time laughing as his hard-headed daughter started grousing about the "mountains of rules" a girl had to remember to behave properly.  He knew she really wanted to learn, but she didn't really have the patience yet.

_She'll learn eventually, no da_, he thought, just as Taka came bursting into the house, excited about the game of keep-away he had just won against a bunch of other boys.  Hôjun smiled again as he listened to his son chatter about every detail of the game.

Life was good.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  Sorry about taking so long to write this.  I didn't make this chapter very dramatic or angsty, but I wanted to give Chichiri and his family a break.  I can't be mean to them all the time, after all.  That's just cruel.  Sorry about the chapter being kinda short, too. -_-  Anyway, I'm planning to write the last few chapters of this story—I believe it'll be about two—pretty close together.  So, hopefully, I'll be able to post them soon after I post this one.  Sorry for all of you who don't want the story to end so quickly after I finally update again, but I know it's about time I wrap it up (plus, I've run out of ideas for this story except for the one I've had since the beginning about how to end it).  I've been working on this story for almost seventeen months now, can you believe it?  Thirty chapters so far…wow. O_o  I never thought it would be this long.  Anyway, tell me what you think of this by leaving a review or emailing me at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	31. Parting

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Thirty-One:  Parting 

Tori watched her father as he moved the writing brush quickly over the paper.  He had weathered the years quite well, but she could not help but notice the small things that indicated he was slowing up.

So many children in the village wanted to hear his stories about Suzaku no Miko and the Suzaku Shichi Seishi, that he finally decided it would just be easier to write them all down.  He had been working on it constantly for several weeks now, and when asked why, he had answered with a slight smile that he didn't know if he'd be around much longer.  Tori and her younger brothers and sisters knew he was old and that no one lives forever, but the prospect of his death still frightened them.  He had been so kind and loving a father.  His absence would be deeply grieved.

It had been over forty years since Suzaku no Miko had come, since the war with Kutô-koku, since Hôjun had met his destiny and put all his powers to the test.  His memory of those times was still very sharp, sharper than any other memories from long ago.  Even more recent memories were fuzzy compared to the recollective power of what was now known around Kônan-koku as the Years of Reckoning.  So much had been at stake in the clash of the Seiryû and Suzaku Seishi, as well as the near-disaster involving the Demon-God Tenkô.  Hôjun's body bore many old scars from that time, and Tori remembered an older scar, one that slashed across his face, that told of the emotional pain he had endured in the first few decades of his life.  Even now, a darkness could be seen in the depths of his eyes, telling of the heartbreak he had so many times faced and dealt with.

Ri Hôjun had been town leader for about twenty years now.  So many people, both young and old, looked up to him and respected him, and the reception of him as the one the previous town leader wanted to succeed him had been almost unanimously good.  He had since governed the town to the best of his ability.

He, at the venerable age of seventy years old, had seven children, twenty-nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.  He would have had nine children, but there had been two deaths:  Kojika had been stillborn forty-one years ago, and Washi had been killed at the age of twenty.  Tori's mentally retarded little brother had wandered away from his twin in the woods, and had not realized he was in danger until the sick and hunger-crazed outcast from a local wolf pack had attacked.  A frantic Taka, cursing himself for not keeping better track of his brother, had heard Washi's frightened cries and the hungry snarl of the wolf.  He had come running, seen his twin's throat in the wolf's jaws, and Taka's subsequent rage rivaled that of his father's hidden volatility.  He had fallen on the wolf, wrenched it away from Washi, and broken its neck with his bare hands in an adrenaline-fueled burst of strength.  Washi had bled to death in his brother's arms a few minutes later.  His death had hit the family hard.

Ten years ago, Hôjun had suffered a blow that had almost made him sick with depression.  He had, out of nowhere, been hit with a soul-deep chill, an ice-cold hand clamping around his heart, a feeling of sudden loss and emptiness.  It had taken him a few minutes to recover and realize what he was feeling.  It had been the severing of ki that a Seishi felt when one of his companions died.  Tasuki was dead.  Several days later, he had received a letter from Kôji telling of Tasuki's death in a skirmish against a rival bandit gang.  The Reikaku-zan bandits had beaten them back, but not before losing their leader in a lucky shot from one of the rival gang's archers.  Tasuki had been fifty-three years old, and considering a bandit's risky lifestyle, he had lived for quite a long time.  Ri Hôjun, known as Chichiri, was now the last of the Seishi to survive.  Kôji, himself having also lived longer than the bandit lifestyle usually allowed, had died a few years later to a viral sickness.

Tori remembered her father saying not too long ago, with a downcast look in his eyes, that the thing he liked least about aging was the almost continuous loss of friends to the ravages of time.  Along with Tasuki's death, Hôjun had lost many of his friends around the town to old age and ailments associated with old age.  He himself was one of the oldest people in Shôryû now.  His health was still very good, and he may live for years yet.  On the other hand, good health at his age was much more precarious than good health in youth.

Hôjun put the brush down, placed the lid on the jar of ink, and stood up.  He was slightly stiff.  His joints weren't as supple as they once were.

"Tori-chan, no da," he smiled.  "I didn't know you were here, no da."

"Oh, I came so the kids could see you," she replied, indicating the two young children at her feet.  Her two grandchildren.  Their parents were working in one of the fields outside of town, and Tori had volunteered to baby-sit, as she normally did.  They detached themselves from their grandmother and latched onto Hôjun.  He smiled and knelt down to their level to return the embrace.  "How's Okâsan?" Tori asked.

"She's…fine, no da," he answered.  "She's still a little weak from being ill last winter, but I think she's fine, no da.  She keeps reassuring me of that, no da."  Kôran had been ill for an extended period of time last winter, and was noticeably less healthy than she was at this time a year ago.

The woman in question walked into the room at that moment.  Her face, lined with the cares of motherhood, broke into a smile when she saw her oldest daughter.

"Ohayô, Okâsan," Tori smiled, hugging her mother.

"Tori," Kôran replied.  "It good to see you again."

Hôjun eyebrows arched downward slightly.  Tori and her husband had been over to visit just a couple days ago, and it was if Kôran had forgotten than.  The Ri matriarch's memory seemed to be failing.

"Well, we—"  Hôjun was cut off as the older child, a boy, began chasing the cat.  The small white animal, named Kei, was descended several generations from Tama-neko, Mitsukake's cat.  The eerily intelligent cat's numerous other descendants were scattered about the town, living with countless families.  Kei looked almost exactly like her loveable ancestor.

Hôjun smiled and shook his head as Tori chased after the laughing boy.  Ah, yes…the joy of being a child…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tori looked in on her father.  He knelt by the side of the bed, holding his wife's still hand.  It was winter again, and the illness she had had a year ago had returned two-fold.  Hôjun hadn't left Kôran's side for days.

"Otôsan?" she ventured.  "How is she?"

She could hear him swallow through a dry throat.  He sat there, silent and motionless, for several minutes.  Finally he opened his mouth and whispered, very softly, on the verge of tears…

"Gather the family, Tori-chan…Okâsan's dead."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kôran and Hôjun's children were gathered in the living room of the house, their spouses, children, and grandchildren all around them.  Hôjun had just gone to bed.  The funeral had been earlier that day, and the entire family was gloomy.

"I can't believe…she's really gone…" Seiryoku murmured, staring at his lap.  His eyes were still shining with tears.

"She was old, Sei-chan," Hana said softly.  "Her time had come…I guess."

They were silent for a while.

"Well," Tori said, breaking the heavy silence.  "It's late…I think you should all go home now.  Otôsan needs some peace."  She and her husband were staying with Hôjun for a while, helping him through his grief.  He loved his wife with all his heart, and her loss had cut into him deeper than any other had.

A little while later, everyone was gone but Tori and her husband, Shinta.  Shinta set to straightening up the living room after having so many people in it, while Tori peeked in her father's room to see if he was all right.

He was awake.

"Otôsan…?" Tori said.  He turned his eyes up to her.  "Daijôbu…?"

Hôjun squeezed his eyes shut.  "Hai…heiki…" he replied.

Tori knelt down by the bed.  "We're all here for you, Otôsan.  We always will be."

Hôjun looked at her, looking exhausted.  "I know, and I thank you."  He closed his eyes again.  "Don't worry about me, Tori-chan.  It's late.  You and Shinta should go to bed."  He lay still, and it was evident a few minutes later that he had fallen asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Three weeks later, Ri Hôjun, Suzaku Shichi Seishi Chichiri and leader of the town of Shôryû, was put to rest beside his wife.  He had died of his grief, and had now joined his beloved and his Seishi comrades in the land beyond.  Many people claim to have seen a great red bird soaring through the air above the town and descending in the direction of the graveyard.  A young boy, cutting through the graveyard to return from the woods, was found mesmerized, kneeling on the ground near the Ri family graves.  He kept saying he saw the Phoenix God himself land, fiery tears slipping from his eyes and dripping off the end of his sharp beak as he bent his head toward the freshly turned-over earth in Hôjun's grave.  The bird had changed into a man, tears on his face, dressed in crimson, gold, and white, red wings stretching from his back, holding in his arms a spirit that could belong to none other than the dearly departed town leader.  The man had disappeared seconds later.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Suzaku-seikun drifted in the space between the Material Plane and Heaven, cradling the soul of his last Seishi in his arms.  He didn't know why he had let himself be visible to the people of the town, or the boy in the graveyard.

"Mm," Hôjun murmured, stirring.  He opened his eyes.  "Doko…?"

"We are between your world and mine, Chichiri," Suzaku replied.

"Your world…?" Hôjun repeated.  "What…do you mean Heaven, no da?!"

"Yes," Suzaku nodded.

"Oh…yes…" Hôjun whispered.  "I died, didn't I, no da?"

Suzaku nodded again.  "You died of your grief, Chichiri.  The loss of your wife was too much for you to bear."

"Where is she…?" Hôjun asked, still sleepy-seeming after departure from his body.

"She has been sent to the Miko world where she was reborn," Suzaku said.  "You remember that Suzaku no Miko wished for me to make it so her Seishi were reborn in her world?  Tamahome was only the first.  All the others have gone after him, and it's your turn now.  I couldn't limit Miaka's wish to just her Seishi…I've taken the liberty of sending select others with them.  Namely, those most important to each Seishi.  Your wife and your best friend certainly qualify."

"Hikô, too?!" Hôjun asked.

"Yes," Suzaku confirmed.  "Now, hold still…this won't hurt."  He placed his hand on Hôjun's head, closed his eyes, and began murmuring almost inaudibly, chanting the spell that would send Hôjun's soul to the Miko world.

Hôjun felt a warmth rush through him, and then knew no more.

To be continued… 

**Author's Notes:**  THIS IS NOT THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!  There's gonna be an epilogue chapter that I hope I'll post soon.  It'll probably be really short. -_-  Oh, well…epilogues usually are.  Anyway, all the Seishi will be there, and Miaka, and perhaps some of the family members and such of the Seishi.  Now, since Tamahome's reincarnation is named Sukunami Taka, and not Sô Kishuku, I figure that none of the other Seishi would be named the same as in their past life, either.  In other words, everyone (except Miaka and Taka) will be named differently, but I haven't decided what they'll be yet.  Just keep in mind that the epilogue will be from Chichiri's POV, and I'll find ways to indicate who's who.  Okay?  Okay.  Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter!  It was really hard to write, what with killing both my favorite character, Chichiri, and Katie's favorite character, Tasuki (sorry, Keitii-chan!).  Let me know in a review or by mailing me at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


	32. Epilogue

**Author's Notes:**  See chapter one for disclaimer and explanation.  This is the last chapter, minna-san!

Love, Life, and Death By Annie-chan Chapter Thirty-Two:  Epilogue 

"Naaaaaa…shimatta!" Takechi swore.  He was going to be late for his own party!  He and his college friends were all getting together at Takechi's parent's house about a mile from the university for an end-of-year party, and Takechi, the host, was absent.  At the moment, he was running down the sidewalk toward his parent's house.  He could have sworn the people in front of him at the checkout at the grocery store had gotten as many items as they could have on purpose, then further slowed him up by either talking to the clerk or suddenly deciding they had forgotten something or that they didn't want something they had.  Takechi had almost ground his teeth at the annoyance.

As he ran the last block, grocery bags swinging in his hands—he had to make a last-minute run to the grocery store, as Miaka and Taka had been the first ones to show up, and neither Taka nor Takechi could find something to distract Miaka before she ate all the snacks—he heard a familiar voice shout his name.

"Take-chan!" his girlfriend Naoko called.  "Wait up, will you!" she, apparently, was running behind as well, as she seemed in a hurry to get to Takechi's like he was.  When she caught up to him, she chided him, "You don't need to run, Koi.  I'm late, too, but I didn't start running until I saw you.  All you're doing is wearing yourself down."

"Hai, hai," Takechi mocked-groaned, but he knew Naoko meant well.  She mother-henned him worse than his own mother sometimes.

When they got there, the door was open, and they could hear the sound of several people inside.  "I guess everyone's here," Naoko said, and as soon as she said that, Keiichi came out of the front door toward them.

"Hey, man, what took you so long?" he asked Takechi, though there was no malice in his voice.

"The checkout line was populated by galaxy-class bakas, that's what," Takechi answered, handing one of the grocery bags to his best friend.  "Take that in and put the chips in a bowl, will ya?  I gotta put the non-snacky stuff away."  He had had to pick up aspirin and some other bathroom essentials for his parents while he was at the store.

When he had put the stuff away in the bathroom and entered the living room, he saw indeed that everyone was there.

Naoko and Keiichi's girlfriend Mai were chatting lively about their boyfriends, while Mai hung on Keiichi's arm—though Takechi failed to see how she could do that, as they were both sitting down.  Keiichi was trying his best to seem indifferent, but Takechi could see that he was blushing slightly at the girl-talk.

Taka and Keisuke were trying to keep Miaka occupied with a game of cards, as they didn't want the snacks disappearing at record pace again.  Taka's petite little fiancée was winning hands-down, much to the guys' chagrin, as it was her first time playing that particular game.

Yui and Tetsuya were near Taka, Keisuke, and Miaka.  Yui was beside herself fawning over Takechi's parent's new kitten, Sota, and Tetsuya was patiently listening to Yui's girlish giggles over how kawaii the kitten was.

Takechi spotted Mikado just inside the hallway, trying to "fix" his hair in a mirror on the wall.  Mikado was a complete narcissist, and was constantly looking in mirrors and such to fix this or that, almost to the point of obsessive-compulsive disorder.  Takechi thought Mikado looked fine, and so did Mikado's girlfriend, Susumi.  Mikado, however, paid no attention to the fact that Susumi was right behind him, saying he looked perfect and didn't need anymore primping.  The young man's narcissism pervaded everything he did, it seemed, but it somehow endeared him to the others, instead of making him seem arrogant.

Sitting in a chair near Mikado and Susumi, trying not to look like he was staring, was Kenzi.  Kenzi was very openly a cross-dresser and a bisexual, and he had a rather huge crush on Mikado.  Kenzi barely at all hid it, much to Mikado's dismay.  Mikado, however, never seemed to be able to deter Kenzi's fawning attentions, even though it was very plain that Mikado was an item with Susumi.  Everyone else found this predicament amusing, even outright hilarious at times.

Takechi glanced over at Yoshitaka and Tadashi near the middle of the room, and was slightly relieved to see that Tadashi was making his best friend empty his pockets to make sure he didn't have any matches or lighters.  Yoshitaka was a bit of a pyromaniac, and though he never went so far as to ignite a building, you never knew when he'd decide to light up something else just to watch it burn.

Against the far wall, near a big bookcase, were Hisashi, Minae, and Daisuke.  Hisashi, a medical student at the university, was busy trying to keep Daisuke from grabbing a book and reading.  Minae, a pre-med student and Hisashi's girlfriend, was attempting to help him out.  Daisuke, a child prodigy who was years younger than anyone else at the university, had an insatiable appetite for reading, and was usually the wallflower at a party, choosing instead to stick his nose in a book instead of socialize.

Takechi stopped as he passed them by.  "Daisuke, forget reading for now.  This is a party!  Have some fun!"

"But, Takechi-san," Daisuke protested, "reading IS how I have fun!"

Takechi sighed, deciding it'd be best to leave the little bookworm to Hisashi and Minae.

Takechi hadn't taken two steps farther—he was headed over to Keiichi, Naoko, and Mai—when music suddenly started blaring from the stereo system in the corner.  Everyone jumped and whirled around to see Yoshitaka standing there, his finger on the "play" button of the CD player, grinning.

"Hey!" Yoshitaka almost had to shout over the music.  "What's a party without a little music, huh?"

Owari 

**Author's Notes:**  There ya go.  After nearly a year and a half, it's finally finished.  I don't know whether I should be happy or sad!  This fic is my pride and joy, and I loved writing it (even though I could be slow at that at times -_-), but I know that I should wrap it up, because I've been working on it for long enough.  I very, very sincerely thank all of my readers, and I especially thank all who've taken the time to review this story.  You've been the true driving force behind this fic.  I don't know if I would have gotten very far if people didn't like it.  Dômo arigatô gozaimasu, minna-sama!  Chichiri loves you (and so do I)! ^_^V

I hope I made it clear who was who, but I decided to make a list, just in case I confused some people:  Miaka, Yui, Keisuke, Tetsuya = themselves (obviously); Taka = Tamahome (also obviously); Mikado = Hotohori; Susumi = Hôki; Kenzi = Nuriko; Takechi = Chichiri; Naoko = Kôran; Keiichi = Hikô; Mai = a girl I made up because I wanted to give Hikô a girlfriend; Yoshitaka =Tasuki; Tadashi = Kôji; Hisashi = Mitsukake; Minae = Shôka; and Daisuke = Chiriko.

As always, I would really, really like to hear how you all like this!  Leave a review or email me at mangareader@hotmail.com, onegai shimasu!


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